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CHARLESTON -- With the deadline to register to vote or update voter registration information for the May 14 primary just two weeks away, candidates for governor of West Virginia and other Board of Public Works offices are trying to out-raise each other to fund their campaigns.
First quarter campaign finance reports covering the period between Jan. 1 and March 31 were due to the Secretary of State's Office Monday. Candidates for the Legislature, governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, attorney general, agriculture commissioner, state Supreme Court of Appeals, Intermediate Court of Appeals, and circuit court judges whose districts cross multiple counties must file with the office.
The reports include donations for the three-month period, election year-to-date donations, cash-on-hand, which includes the total funds available to the candidates for use in the primary and potential general election contests after expenses, and any loans made by the candidates to their campaigns. The Federal Election Commission handles quarterly reporting for candidates for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, which won't be due until Monday, April 15.
In the Republican race for governor of West Virginia, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's full campaign finance report was unavailable until Tuesday due to issues between the Morrisey campaign's fundraising vendor Red Curve Solutions and the Secretary of State's Campaign Finance Reporting System (CFRS) involving the size of their quarterly report.
According to his report, Morrisey raised more than $876,402 for the three-month quarter, taking him to more than $3.3 million raised election year-to-date. After expenses, Morrisey reports having more than $1.6 million in cash-on-hand. Morrisey's fundraising haul puts him well above his nearest competitors.
Team Morrisey, a joint fundraising committee (JFC), also filed its April quarterly report with the Federal Election Commission Monday. Team Morrisey raised $879,020. After disbursements - including transferring $273,946 to the Morrisey campaign – the JFC has $2,474 in cash-on-hand.
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 quarter, Team Morrisey transferred $125,883 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 $75,717 to the Upshur County REC.
Team Morrisey also transferred contributions into several of Morrisey's attorney general campaign accounts to retire old debts. The JFC transferred $24,799 for Morrisey's reelection debt from the 2016 general election for attorney general, $31,687 for Morrisey's 2016 primary for attorney general and $37,250 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 $722,241 from his 2012 attorney general race and $151,302 from his 2016 attorney general's race, for a total debt of $873,543.
Morrisey also received substantial support between January and March from the conservative Americans for Prosperity and Black Bear PAC, a pro-Morrisey political action committee funded by the national conservative advocacy group Club for Growth. According to independent expenditure reports filed over the three-month period, Americans for Prosperity spent more than $387,000 to support Morrisey, while Black Bear PAC spent more than $1.8 million during the period to support Morrisey and to attack Morrisey's opponents.
Former House Judiciary Committee chairman Moore Capito came in second in fundraising for the quarter, with $337,354 in contributions and more than $1.5 million raised election year-to-date. Capito has more than $1 million in cash-on-hand.
Most of Capito's dollars came from in-state and out-of-state fundraisers during the quarter, including $18,850 from a fundraiser in January at the National Republican Senatorial Committee hosted by Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D.
Capito also received donations from U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala. Capito is the son of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who will be running for chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, which would make her fourth in the line of Senate Republican leadership.
Huntington businessman Chris Miller came in third in fundraising and has the second most cash-on-hand compared to Morrisey. Miller raised $216,393 for the quarter and more than $1.5 million election year-to-date, leaving him with more than $1.2 million in cash-on-hand. Much of Miller's money came from a $3 million loan to his campaign. He took out an additional $50,000 loan from himself to his campaign made on March 29.
Secretary of State Mac Warner raised $72,671 for the quarter and $523,504 election year-to-date, leaving him with $192,529 in cash-on-hand. David Roberts reported no donations and $789 in expenses. Kevin Christian reported no donations or expenses. Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary for governor, raised $17,831 for the quarter and $26,361 election year-to-date, leaving him with $21,080 in cash-on-hand.
Candidates will file another campaign finance report by May 3 covering the final month before the primary showing fundraising between April 1 and Sunday, April 28. Voters have until April 23 to either register to vote or make changes to their voter registration to vote in the primaries.
Those seeking absentee ballots from their county clerks have until May 8 to apply for an absentee ballot. Early voting at county courthouses and other designated locations during business hours begins Wednesday, May 1, through Saturday, May 11. Sundays are excluded, but Saturdays are open to early voters between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, is Election Day.