MORGANTOWN — Monongalia County will have six seats in the House of Delegates under the new 100 single-member-district map.
The races feature four incumbents from the current 51st District and two open seats. Here’s a look at the candidates’ campaign spending for those races. In terms of money, some are highly competitive, some less so.
The numbers come from the candidates’ 3rd Quarter Reports, covering July 1-Sept. 30, and their General Reports, covering Oct. 1-23. The election is Nov. 8.
In virtually all cases, for candidates of both parties, contributions came from individuals and PACs, so we won’t repeat that for each, noting only when it varies.
77th District
Incumbent Republican Joe Statler faces Democratic challenger Ben Swanson. While Statler raised twice as much money, Swanson slightly outspent him.
Statler opened the 3rd Quarter with $6,007.55. He received $6,480.26 plus $21,654.22 at a Morgantown fundraiser and $600 in transfers from the 2020 campaign accounts of Majority Leader Amy Summers and Speaker Roger Hanshaw.
He also received $15 in-kind. He spent $7,267 during the period.
During the General, he raised another $7,900 plus $5,700 at a Dilliner, Pa., fundraiser. He received $1,089.49 in-kind, including $129.49 from the West Virginia Republican Legislative Committee.
He spent $8,330.41, leaving a balance of $32,744.56.
Statler’s totals for the election year were $49,888.97 raised and $16,039.92 spent.
Swanson opened with $8,660.95 and received $10,335. He spent $7,520.11 during the 3rd Quarter.
During the General, his fundraising slowed but he kept campaigning. He received $1,265 and spent $6,927.06, leaving a balance of $5,813.78.
His totals for the year were $22,666.15 raised and $16,686.22 spent — $646.30 more than Statler.
78th District
This is an open seat. Democrat Jeffrey Budkey and Republican Geno Chiarelli are vying to fill it. Chiarelli was ahead in both fundraising and spending.
Budkey began the 3rd Quarter with $2,161.51 and raised $4,033.82. He also received $389.54 in-kind from West Virginia Can’t Wait and the West Virginia Working Families Party PAC.
Budley spent $1,330.15 during the period.
During the General he raised just $775 plus $79.31 in-kind from West Virginia Can’t Wait. He spent $5,378.97, leaving a balance of $261.21.
His totals for the year were $8,342.55 raised and $7,037.61 spent.
Chiarelli opened with $4,007.62 and received $3,481.23 plus $2,975 at a Morgantown fundraiser. He spent $4,654.42 during the 3rd Quarter.
During the General he raised $1,575 and spent $2,987.68, leaving a balance of $4,396.75.
For the year, his totals were $19,323.16 raised and $14,819.41 spent.
During the two periods in question, Chiarelli spent $7,642.10 compared to Budkey’s $6,709.12. Those figures are fairly close, but before that, Chiarelli had won a close three-way primary while Budkey was unopposed.
79th District
Incumbent Democrat Evan Hansen faces Republican challenger Zach LeMaire. This is one of three Mon races where the campaign cash flow is heavily lopsided in favor of the incumbent.
Hansen opened the 3rd Quarter with $18,721.24 and raised $13,683.50. He received $237.54 in-kind from the West Virginia Working Families Party PAC. He spent $9,458.42.
During the General, he raised $1,535 and spent $9.812.11, leaving a balance of $18,669.21.
Hansen’s totals for the year were $44,901.78 raised and $25,875.03 spent.
LeMaire opened the 3rd Quarter with just $59.71 in his campaign account. He gave his campaign $65 and spent $109.34.
During the General, he received $200 plus $129.48 in-kind from the West Virginia Republican Legislative Committee.
He spent nothing, leaving a balance of $215.37.
His totals were $718.49 raised and $373.64 spent.
80th District
Incumbent Democrat John Williams faces Republican challenger Justin White. Williams outpaced White in fundraising and spending.
Williams began the 3rd Quarter with $15,209.34. He raised $18,125 and spent $13,507.81.
During the General he raised just $2,376 plus $72 in-kind, but spent $14,604.74, leaving a balance of $7,597.79.
His totals were $50,543.53 raised and $38,390.74 spent.
White opened with $3,746.75 and raised only $250. He spent nothing.
During the General, it picked up a bit. He received $6,708.40 plus $1,645 at a Morgantown fundraiser. He spent $9,850.08, leaving a balance of $3,479.36.
His totals were $13,579.44 raised and $10,100.08 spent.
81st District
Here is the third lopsided race. Democratic incumbent Danielle Walker faces Republican challenger Steven Harris.
Walker opened with $46,797.87 — more than two times what Harris raised for the year. During the 3rd Quarter she went on to raise another $27,259.50 and received $237.54 in-kind from the West Virginia Working Families Party PAC. She spent $28,528.10.
During the General, she received $3,104.92 and spent $14,785.16, leaving a balance of $33,849.03.
Her totals were $70,418.32 raised and $63,588.71 spent.
Harris began with $5,439.04 and during the 3rd Quarter raised $5,750 plus $2,725 at a Morgantown fundraiser, plus $1,800 in-kind. He spent $2,495.51.
During the General, he received only $250 plus $900 in-kind. He spent $8,503.48, leaving a balance of $3,165.05.
His totals were $18,846.36 raised and $12,189.30 spent.
82nd District
This is an open seat. Republican Debbie Warner and Democrat Katie Fallon are vying to fill it. Warner is ahead in fundraising but the two are comparatively close in spending.
Warner began the 3rd Quarter with $15,541.01 and received $17,875, along with $3,850 at fundraisers in Charleston and Morgantown. She spent $1,921.96.
During the General, she raised $6,550 plus $6,530 at fundraisers in Charleston and Morgantown, and $2,730.96 in-kind from the West Virginia Republican Legislative Committee.
She spent $2,411.11, leaving a balance of $45,832.94.
Her totals were $70,810.25 raised, with $22,246.33 spent.
Fallon opened with $4,230.50 and raised $14,106, along with $1,179.28 in-kind from the West Virginia Working Families Party PAC. She outspent Warner for the period, at $5,410.52.
During the General, she raised $3,507.88 plus $992.80 in-kind. She again outspent Warner, at $11,504.85, leaving a balance of $4,929.01.
Her totals were $24,838.96 raised, $17,737.87 spent. For the election year, Fallon spent 71% of the money she raised; Warner spent 31%.
TWEET David Beard @dbeardtdp
EMAIL dbeard@dominionpost.com
