A national Republican group that focuses on state races has placed some early markers for high priority Virginia House of Delegates races, including two in Hampton Roads.
The Republican State Leadership Committee gave $45,000 each to Del. Chris Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, and Rocky Holcomb, who is seeking to win back for the GOP the Virginia Beach district won by Del. Cheryl Turpin in 2017. (Turpin is seeking to flip the state Senate district long represented by the retiring Frank Wagner.)
Stolle, who was sitting on a fund balance of just over $93,000 as of the end of June, is facing Democratic challenger Nancy Guy, who has a hefty war chest of nearly $112,000. Holcomb, who had a bit more than $34,000 on hand at the end of June, is running against Democrat Alex Askew, who had more than $122,000 cash on hand.
A third RSLC priority race is Mary Margaret Kastelberg’s bid to win the Henrico County district Del. Debra Rodman flipped blue in 2017. (Rodman is running for state Senate, bidding to unseat state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant.) Kastleberg had nearly $65,000 on hand in her campaign fund at the end of June, while her Democratic opponent, Rodney Willett, had more than $151,000. The RSLC gave Kastelberg $60,000.
The committee also gave $52,500 to Carrie Coyner, who aims to succeed Del. Riley Ingram, R-Hopewell. Coyner’s been a fundraising powerhouse, even before this, raising nearly $244,000 compared to her Democratic opponent Lindsey Dougherty’s $19,000.
That district, which moved about 2.5 percentage points more Democratic as a result of this year’s court-ordered shift in several House district lines, has been a swinger recently: Sen Tim Kaine won 52% of its votes in 2018, but GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie won 51% in 2017. The other three districts the RSLC targeted, while long represented by Republicans before 2017, have been trending Democratic lately, with the two Virginia Beach districts going 57% for Kaine in 2018 and the Henrico County district giving him 59% of its votes.
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Shad Plank is the Daily Press blog that tracks Virginia politics. It takes its name from the traditional Shad Planking political get-together, though hopefully it is tastier than the roasted fish featured at that Sussex County event. To contact Dave Ress with tips or questions, call 757-247-4535 or email dress@dailypress.com.
