Nov. 1—dbeard @dominionpost.com MORGANTOWN — In the race for governor, the candidates' final campaign finance reports leading up to Tuesday /s general election show a vast gap between Republican Patrick Morrisey and the other four.
For this period alone — Oct. 1-20 — Attorney General Morrisey raised 11 times more than Democrat Steve Williams and spent 69 times more.
The figures come from their 2024 General Reports. The post-election reports, covering Oct. 21-Dec. 31, are due Jan. 7, 2025.
Morrisey opened the period with $1, 778, 323.16 and raised $219, 888.61. Small donors — giving $250 or less — gave a total $17, 114.64.
Morrisey also recorded transfers of $3, 306.90 from his 2020 campaign and from two delegates' accounts ; $500 in-kind (goods and services); $2, 802.87 interest ; and a $3, 247.87 loan.
He spent $592, 870.97, leaving an account balance of $1, 351, 895.56.
His year-to-date totals were $6, 824, 464.41 raised and $5, 544, 876.36 spent. He gave his campaign $334, 300 and lent it $99, 000 — with $60, 000 of that repaid.
Williams, mayor of Huntington, opened with $145, 559.20. He raised $19, 484.64, with $9, 357.64 of that small contributions of $250 or less.
He spent $8, 617.40, leaving a balance of $156, 426.44.
His year-to-date totals were $254, 520.81 raised and $93, 211.44 spent. Of all the candidates, he's the least self-funded, giving his campaign just $750.
Third-party candidates S. Marshall Wilson is running under the banner of the Constitution Party.
He opened with his account balance in the hole by $529.43. He raised $3, 773 and received $9, 520.20 in-kind, including $8, 969.45 from himself.
By covering campaign expenses via in-kind donations, he listed only $26.98 spent, leaving a balance of $3, 216.68.
His year-to-date totals were $76, 408.78 raised and $11, 868.61 spent. He gave his campaign $58, 238.82.
Mountain Party's Chase Chase Linko-Looper opened the period with $109.52 and received $750 from the Green Party. He spent $295.45, leaving a balance of $564.07.
His year-to-date totals were $12, 282.06 raised and $2, 902.91 spent. He gave his campaign $10, 698.74.
Libertarian Erica Kolenich filed all five of her 2024 reports in October. They were due April 8, May 3, July 1, Oct. 7 and Oct. 25.
She open this period with $8, 597.04 and raised $57.91. She also recived $460 in-kind.
She spent $2, 515.54, leaving a balance of $6, 139.41.
Her totals were $27, 068.81 raised and $32, 692.65 spent. She gave her campaign $9, 082.21 and records outstanding loans from herself of $14, 980.07.