CHARLESTON – With less than a week until the early voting period starts in West Virginia, candidates for U.S. Senate and the state’s two congressional districts reported their recent hauls of campaign donations, with the two Senate candidates exchanging swipes Wednesday.

Federal candidates filed their October quarterly campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission by a Tuesday deadline. These reports cover campaign donations and expenditures between July, August, and September.

In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Gov. Jim Justice has substantially more cash going into the next 20 days until Election Day on Nov. 5. But for the second reporting period in a row, Democratic former Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott showed that he can keep up with the governor when it comes to quarterly donations.

Justice raised $341,810 during the quarter and more than $3.1 million election cycle-to-date, leaving him with more than $1 million in cash-on-hand. Elliott raised $433,540 during the quarter and $684,602 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $174,685 in cash-on-hand.

According to Justice’s quarterly report, $15,3550 was transferred from the Justice Victory Committee, the governor’s joint fundraising committee with the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Another $309,008 was transferred from the Justice for WV Senate Republican Nominee Fund.

Justice spent Tuesday holding birthday events for Babydog – his English bulldog – at elementary schools in Cabell and Marshall counties. Justice is hitting the campaign trail today but not in West Virginia. Justice and Babydog will be joining supporters of former Republican President Donald Trump for an event in Waynesburg, Pa., with potentially other events in other parts of rural Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

“I’m not going there to Pennsylvania to talk about me…I’m not into campaigning all over the place for me, because the people of this great state know me. They already know me, and know me really well,” Justice said Wednesday during his weekly administration briefing at the State Capitol Building. “If they decide to have me as their senator, they’ll vote for me. If they decide they don’t want me for their senator? I’m OK with that.”

In a statement sent by text Wednesday, Elliott thanked his grassroots supporters for helping to keep his quarterly fundraising competitive with Justice’s, accusing the governor of being funded exclusively by special interests and other political action committees.

“As Jim Justice juggles his personal finances and funds his campaign with PAC money and outside interests, it’s clear where his priorities lie,” Elliott said. “In contrast, our campaign thrives on the support of West Virginia donors and small contributors who understand the true value of this Senate seat. It’s encouraging to see that the real people backing us have more faith in our success than the media’s narrative might suggest.”

Elliott has challenged Justice to debate, though Justice has rejected the idea. According to the most recent WV MetroNews West Virginia Poll released at the end of August, Justice leads Elliott 62% to 28%, with 5% preferring another candidate and 5% not sure. Elliott has criticized Justice’s record as governor and as a businessman, pointing to Justice’s recent issues with lenders and the historic Greenbrier Resort.

“You can tell Glenn Elliott to kiss Babydog’s heinie,” Justice said Wednesday when asked about Elliott’s criticisms about his business issues and willingness to commit to the job of senator if elected. “Here is a guy who really and truly failed almost as the mayor of Wheeling. What else can he cling to?”

For both the northern 2nd Congressional District and the southern 1st Congressional District, the Republican candidates are well ahead of their competitors.

In the 2nd District, Republican State Treasurer Riley Moore outraised retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Steven Wendelin in the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. Moore raised $226,026 for the quarter and more than $1.3 million election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $286,918 in cash-on-hand. Moore also carried over $80,918 in debts and obligations owed by his campaign committee. The Moore campaign received a $102,400 transfer from Team Riley, Moore’s joint fundraising committee.

Wendelin raised $11,055 for the quarter and $30,066 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $4,085 in cash-on-hand.

In the 1st District, incumbent U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., raised $242,836 for the quarter and more than $1.5 million election cycle-to-date, leaving her with $229,482 in cash-on-hand. She also carried over $417,993 in debts and obligations. Miller, first elected in 2018, is in her third two-year term.

Former U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller staffer Wes Holden, running as an independent against Miller, raised $15,551 for the quarter and $35,025 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $3,061 in cash-on-hand and $1,400 in debts and obligations. Charleston resident Chris Bob Reed will be on the ballot in the 1st District as a Democrat, but he has filed no reports with the FEC to date.

The deadline to register to vote in this year’s general election closed Tuesday. Early voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 23, and continues until Saturday, Nov. 2, excluding Sundays. Election Day is Nov. 5.