| There's some interesting figures and names in the recent fund raising reporting, but here's one that I think needs highlighted:
Six candidates from the Democratic Party have raised nearly $2.6 million compared to eight Republicans raising $260,000.
Secretary of State Natalie Tennant is fourth on the fund raising list among the Democrats and has raised nearly as much as all eight Republicans combined.
Perhaps if WV GOP Chairman Mike Stuart had not spent so much time tearing down the state's most popular Republican, Betty Ireland, she might have done better with her fund raising against Bill Maloney.
As Ireland and Tennant have shown before money isn't everything and their personal charisma and appeal have overcome being outraised in campaigns before.
But it is telling that quite a few Republican women are contributing to Tennant's campaign and after the way Stuart and others in the Republican Party in the state have ganged up and beaten up on Ireland, it would not surprise me to see even more Republican women cross party lines for the general election if Maloney is the party's nominee. Maybe Stuart thinks the Republican Party can win without women. That is an interesting strategy.
There has been a weird hypocrisy around Ireland from Republican men. The same Republican men who say Ireland is not anti-choice enough are the same ones who ignore that the pro-choice Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is endorsed and receives funds from the Republican version of pro-choice Emily's List.
Among the other candidates, Senate President Acting As Governor Earl Ray Tomblin topped the list, funded in large part by coal barons.
House Speaker Rick Thompson raised $666,643, making him second, but he also outraised Tomblin in the most recent quarter showing he has momentum. More importantly he keeps gaining union endorsements that will put volunteers on the streets and behind phones to GOTV for him.
Treasurer John Perdue was third with a respectable $595,000.
Tennant also made a strong showing with $216,500. As I mentioned before, those who count her out because she has not raised as much as the others should talk to Joe DeLong.
Acting Sen. President Jeff Kessler has raised $94,903, which does not seem a lot until you put it in context of what the two leading Republicans have raised. |
