Photo courtesy of WV Legislative Photography Groups supporting Attorney General Patrick Morrisey for the Republican nomination for governor of West Virginia have already spent more than $1 million.

CHARLESTON – Groups tied to West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s campaign for the Republican nomination for governor reported fundraising numbers going into the final four months of the primary season and spent more than $1.3 million on behalf of Morrisey to date.

Team Morrisey, a joint fundraising committee (JFC), filed its end-of-the-year 2023 report with the Federal Election Commission last week, detailing fundraising between October and December.

According to the year-end report, Team Morrisey raised $497,978 for the quarter, bringing its election year-to-date contributions to more than $1.6 million. Team Morrisey is left with $4,300 in cash-on-hand after expenditures, including dumping $198,994 into Morrisey’s campaign, according to his end-of-2023 quarterly filing with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office.

The Morrisey campaign raised $564,709 during the October-December quarter and has more than $1.8 million in cash-on-hand, taking out $132,000 in loans for the campaign. Morrisey raised a combined $1.1 million between his campaign and Team Morrisey.

Joint fundraising committees allow for unlimited donations, though transfers from the committee to a candidate cannot exceed individual donation limits. JFCs allow candidates to partner with other groups to raise money.

Team Morrisey is a JFC with the Blue and Gold Fund and the Upshur County Republican Executive Committee. During the previous quarter, Team Morrisey transferred $35,586 to the Blue and Gold Fund, a political action committee tied to Morrisey that donated to several congressional and attorney general campaigns as well as other political action committees. Team Morrisey transferred $14,326 to the Upshur County REC.

The Blue and Gold Fund showed no fundraising during the final six months of 2023. Political action committees only have to file reports with the FEC every six months during non-election years. The Blue and Gold Fund only raised $6,000 for the first half of 2023, though $77,959 was transferred to the Blue and Gold Fund from affiliated or other party committees. The fund has $175,512 in cash-on-hand.

Team Morrisey also transferred contributions into several of Morrisey’s attorney general campaign accounts to retire old debts. The JFC transferred $39,658 for Morrisey’s reelection debt from the 2016 general election for attorney general, $13,866 for Morrisey’s 2016 primary for attorney general and $14,737 for remaining general election debt for Morrisey’s first campaign in 2012 for attorney general, where he defeated long-time Democratic Attorney General Darrell McGraw.

According to his campaign filings with the secretary of state, Morrisey still has an outstanding debt of $759,492 from his 2012 attorney general race and $207,787 from his 2016 attorney general’s race, for a total debt of $967,279.

Another federal fundraising group tied to Morrisey – Black Bear PAC – only raised $1,102 during the final half of 2023, bringing its calendar-year 2023 contributions to more than $2.1 million, though it still has more than $2.8 million in cash-on-hand for the 2024 primary.

Black Bear PAC is tied to Scott Will, who serves as a senior adviser to the political action committee. Will is a former campaign manager for Morrisey’s first run for attorney general in 2012, a partner with Attorney General Strategies and a partner in SW2 Political. He is also the former executive director for the Republican Attorneys General Association. Black Bear PAC paid SW2 Political $45,000 between July and December.

Nearly all of the $2.1 million raised in 2023 by Black Bear PAC came from a March 23 contribution from Club for Growth Action, the super PAC affiliated with the conservative public policy advocacy organization Club for Growth.

Both the Club for Growth PAC and Black Bear PAC endorsed Morrisey in April for the Republican nomination for governor of West Virginia to succeed the term-limited Gov. Jim Justice, who is seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2024.

In a press release at the time, both PACs said they had already raised $5 million to support Morrisey with a goal to spend more than $10 million. According to independent expenditure reports filed with the Secretary of State’s Office, Black Bear PAC spent $907,337 on behalf of Morrisey in 2023, plus $151,959 as of the end of January.

Another political action committee spending money on behalf of Morrisey is Americans for Prosperity, a conservative grassroots organizing organization with an affiliate in West Virginia. According to independent expenditure reports, Americans for Prosperity spent $207,000 on behalf of Morrisey in 2023 and another $62,000 in January.

Both Black Bear PAC and AFP-WV paid for polling last year showing Morrisey in the lead among other Republican candidates for governor.

According to the November poll paid for by Black Bear PAC and conducted by WPA Intelligence, 39% of respondents said they would support Morrisey, with 23% supporting former House Judiciary Committee Chairman Moore Capito, 14% supporting Secretary of State Mac Warner, 10% supporting Huntington businessman Chris Miller and 14% undecided. According to a September poll paid for by AFP-WV, 29% of respondents said they would vote for Morrisey, 18% support Capito, 8% support Warner, and 6% support Miller.

Morrisey will face Capito, Miller and Warner Tuesday evening at the Resort at Glade Springs in a debate sponsored by the Raleigh County Republican Executive Committee and moderated by WV MetroNews Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval.

Other Republican candidates for governor on the May 14 primary ballot are Kevin “KC” Christian and Mitch Roberts.