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CHARLESTON -- Gov. Jim Justice remains ahead of U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney in fundraising in the Republican U.S. Senate primary while Rep. Carol Miller and State Treasurer Riley Moore remain ahead of their GOP competitors in the primaries for the state's two House of Representatives seats.
Federal candidates filed the Federal Election Commission quarterly campaign finance reports last week covering the period between January and March. The next set of quarterly reports won't be turned in until July 15.
In the U.S. Senate GOP primary, Justice raised $404,948 during the first quarter and more than $2.4 million election cycle-to-date, leaving him with approximately $1.1 million in cash-on-hand. That includes $12,600 from 2024 Republican Senate Victory, a joint fundraising committee between several GOP U.S. Senate incumbents and new candidates.
The Republican Senate Victory JFC raised more than $3.6 million during the quarter and transferred more than $434,550 to 19 GOP Senate campaigns, including Justice's, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Several political action committees also are spending money to promote Justice, including more than $3 million spent by Defend American Jobs, $176,584 by Conservative Americans PAC and $25,549 by More Jobs, Less Government.
Mooney, R-W.Va., raised $315,978 during the quarter and nearly $2.1 million election cycle-to-date, leaving him with about $1.3 million in cash-on-hand. Of that amount, $19,618 came from Team Mooney, a JFC between the Mooney campaign, Americans for Legislating Excellence PAC (affiliated with Mooney), Club for Growth Action and the Morgan County Republican Executive Committee.
According to Team Mooney's campaign finance report for the quarter, the JFC raised $140,800 for the quarter and has $3,000 in cash-on-hand. Team Mooney transferred $24,080 to the Morgan County REC, $5,795 American for Legislating Excellence, and $1,246 to Club for Growth Action.
Club for Growth Action and Club for Growth PAC have spent more than $583,000 in support of Mooney, with Club for Growth Action dumping $550,000 into Protect West Virginia Values PAC, which has spent $523,450 to date on behalf of Mooney. Club for Growth Action and Club for Growth PAC have spent more than $2.1 million opposing Justice. The Senate Conservatives Fund has spent $267,551 on behalf of Mooney.
Another PAC, the Protect Freedom Political Action Committee, has spent $327,661 supporting Mooney. According to its monthly FEC report, Protect Freedom raised more than $8 million in March mostly from Jeff Yass, a major investor in TikTok. The popular social media app has come under scrutiny for the parent company ByteDance's connections to the Communist Chinese government.
The House of Representees voted over the weekend on a military aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The bill also included language that could force the sale of TikTok. Miller voted for the bills, while Mooney was absent for the votes last Saturday.
Other Republican candidates include Princeton resident Zane Lawhorn, who raised $10,233 for the quarter, and Martinsburg resident Janet McNulty, who raised $100 for the quarter. Inwood resident Bryan McKinney filed no quarterly report.
In the Democratic primary for the Senate, Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott raised $110,206 since entering the race in January, leaving him with $81,148 in cash-on-hand. The Elliott campaign also received a $5,000 donation in March from Country Roads PAC, a political action committee affiliated with Sen. Joe Manchin, who endorsed Elliott Monday. Manchin announced late last year that he will retire from the Senate at the end of 2024.
Mercer County community organizer Zachary Shrewsbury raised $113,559 during the quarter and $185,816 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $50,959 in cash-on-hand. Former Massey Energy chairman and CEO Don Blankenship raised $1,000 for the quarter and $1,100 election cycle-to-date solely from contributions from himself, leaving him with $1,085 in cash-on-hand.
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In the Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional District covering the northern half of the state, Chris "Mookie" Walker, a retired West Virginia Air National Guard brigadier general, has quickly accumulated a large campaign war chest since entering the race in January, but State Treasurer and frontrunner Riley Moore still has the most cash-on-hand heading into the final weeks of the race.
Moore raised $173,852 for the three-month quarter and more than $900,000 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $584,868 in cash-on-hand. Moore's JFC, Team Riley, raised $24,100 during the quarter, transferring $7,700 to the Moore campaign and $14,000 to Mountaineer PAC, a political action committee affiliated with Moore. Team Riley has $9,934 in cash-on-hand.
Walker raised $452,858 during the quarter, encompassing the entirety of his campaign cycle to-date since filing on Jan. 26. That leaves him with $342,812 in cash-on-hand. Of that amount, $70,000 came in the form of two loans from himself and a $1,000 donation from himself.
Other GOP candidates in the 2nd congressional district raised substantially less. Bridgeport resident Joe Earley raised $39,888 for the quarter and $111,502 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $48,145 in cash-on-hand. Hedgesville resident Nate Cain raised $28,963 for the quarter and $114,533 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $9,773 in cash-on-hand. Cain donated $4,169 to his own campaign during the quarter.
Elkins native Alexander Gaaserud raised no money during the quarter and $5,400 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $116 in cash-on-hand. He loaned his campaign $1,650 during the quarter, bringing his loan total to $6,650 for the cycle. The Gaaserud campaign has also racked up $9,650 in debts and obligations, including $3,000 owed to his campaign consultants.
The only Democratic candidate in the 2nd District, Lost River resident Steven Wendelin, raised $3,791 during the quarter and $11,471 election cycle-to-date, leaving his campaign with $4,675 in cash-on-hand.
He only received two donations: one from an individual and one from a county Democratic executive committee.