RICHMOND — Former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe has maintained a hefty fundraising lead as he seeks to reclaim Virginia's Executive Mansion, the latest campaign finance reports show, while two Republican contenders have each plowed more than $5 million of their own money into their campaigns.
His nearest Democratic rival is former delegate Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (Prince William), who has raised a total of $3.7 million,
$1.8 million of that over the first quarter of this year. She had
$2.3 million in the bank.
Among the seven Republicans vying for their party’s nomination at a May 8 convention, former Carlyle Group executive Glenn Youngkin has raised the most overall: about $8 million, all of it in the first quarter, including a $5.5 million loan from himself. Not far behind is businessman Pete Snyder, who has raised nearly $6.9 million — $5.2 million of that in loans from himself and his wife, Burson. Mark Kimsey, a Great Falls stockbroker, boosted Snyder’s bottom line with a
$1 million donation just two days before the deadline.
With the crowded GOP contest seemingly wide open, Republicans have spent heavily over the quarter, including expensive TV advertising not usually in play for conventions, which typically attract only party activists.
Youngkin spent nearly
$4.4 million over the period and had about $3.3 million on hand heading into April, while Snyder spent $4.2 million and had just under $2.6 million in the bank.
Democrats spent considerably less over the period. McAuliffe had $1.2 million in expenses over the quarter while Carroll Foy’s amounted to $760,000.
All of the contenders are vying to succeed Gov. Ralph Northam (D), who is prohibited under Virgina’s constitution from serving back-to-back terms. If reelected, McAuliffe, who left office in January 2018, would be only the second Virginia governor to serve two terms since the Civil War.
McAuliffe, who was a record-breaking Democratic fundraiser and Democratic National Committee chairman before assuming the governorship, received his biggest donation from the Laborers’ International Union of North America Education Fund. The group gave him $250,000. He had no loans.
Much of the money Carroll Foy raised in the first quarter — $750,000 of her $1.8 million haul — came from one Charlottesville couple: hedge fund executive Michael Bills and his wife, Sonjia Smith. Clean Virginia Fund, which advocates for renewable energy and which Bills bankrolls, gave her $500,000, while Smith contributed $250,000 this quarter. Smith gave another $250,000 in April last year.
In addition to McAuliffe and Carroll Foy, the other Democratic contenders are Del. Lee J. Carter (Manassas), Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and state Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan (Richmond). Their fundraising lagged considerably.
McClellan has raised a total of $1.8 million, more than $635,000 of that over the quarter, and had about $442,000 on hand. Carter raised $139,000 in the quarter, and had about $89,000 in the bank. Fairfax raised $327,000 overall, just under $100,000 in the quarter, and had about $21,000 on hand.
McClellan issued a statement noting that, as a legislator, she was prohibited from raising money during the regular General Assembly session this year. She also announced that she had “nearly $1.5 million in pledged donations for the second quarter,” including “major planned contributions from New Virginia Majority and Care in Action.”
In addition to Youngkin and Snyder, the other Republicans are state Sen. Amanda F. Chase (Chesterfield); Del. Kirk Cox (Colonial Heights), a former House speaker; retired Army Col. Sergio de la Peña; former think tank executive Peter Doran; and former Roanoke Sheriff Octavia Johnson.
Cox, a retired teacher who’s been in the legislature for 30 years, has raised a total of about $1.1 million, $694,000 of it in the first quarter, and spent $726,000. He headed into April with $310,000 on hand.
Chase, a self-described “Trump in heels” who entered the race more than a year before most candidates, has raised $783,000 overall, just under $114,000 of that over the period. She spent $147,000 and had $196,000 in the bank.
De la Peña raised $263,000, spent about $221,000 and had about $43,000 on hand. Doran raised just over $16,000, spent $14,000 and ended the period with about $2,000. Johnson raised $932 and ended with $800.
Also running is third-party candidate Princess Blanding, whose brother, Marcus-David Peters, was killed by Richmond police during a mental health crisis in 2018. She raised $12,152 and ended with about $10,000 in the bank.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, Del. Sam Rasoul (D-
Roanoke) leads the pack of seven Democrats in fundraising, while former delegate Timothy D. Hugo (R-Fairfax) is ahead of his five Republican opponents.
Rasoul raised about $633,000 since the start of the year, relying heavily on out-of-state donors with ties to Muslim advocacy groups. Rasoul would be the first Muslim to hold a statewide office in Virginia if he wins in November.
For example, Manal Fakhoury, the secretary for the Council on American-Islamic Relations advocacy group in Washington, contributed $70,000 during that period. Mohannad Malas, a California real estate investor who sits on the board of the Orange County Islamic Foundation, contributed $48,500.
Altogether, the donations leave Rasoul with nearly $1 million to spend so far.
Del. Mark Levine (Alexandria) raised nearly $505,000 since the start of the year, $350,000 of which was a loan to himself. He has $602,000 available to spend. Norfolk City Council member Andria McClellan collected about $395,000 in the first quarter, with her husband contributing a quarter of that amount, leaving her campaign with $406,000 in available funds. Del. Hala S. Ayala (Prince William) raised $141,000, bringing her available funds to $155,000.
Del. Elizabeth R. Guzman (Prince William) collected $137,000, with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees chipping in half of that amount in contributions and in-kind donations. She has $118,000 available. Sean Perryman, the former head of the NAACP’s chapter in Fairfax County, collected $105,000 and has $159,000 available. Arlington County businessman Xavier Warren raised nearly $11,000, with $39,000 in available funds.
On the Republican side, Hugo holds a slight edge over two other candidates in fundraising. The former House majority caucus chairman collected over $198,000, nearly half of which appears to be from his former delegate’s campaign fund, with $104,000 cash on hand. Former delegate Winsome Sears
(R-Norfolk) was close behind with $191,000. She has $64,000 in the bank. Del. Glenn R. Davis Jr. (R-Virginia Beach) collected $135,000 after loaning himself $89,000. He has $36,000 available.
Fairfax County business consultant Puneet Ahluwalia raised $28,000 and has nearly that much still available. Maeve Rigler, a financial consultant in Alexandria, reported raising about $20,000, all of which was in-kind donations to herself, and has no funds on hand. Lance Allen, a national security executive in Fairfax County, trailed the field with about $16,000 raised since the start of the year. But he has $25,000 available.
In another statewide race, Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D), who is seeking a third term, raised about $646,000 and had $1.4 million on hand. He faces a primary challenge from Del. Jerrauld C. “Jay” Jones (D-Norfolk), who raised over $498,000 and had about $1 million in cash.
Among Republicans seeking the office, Del. Jason S. Miyares (Virginia Beach) raised $236,000 and had $341,000 on hand. Chuck Smith, a Virginia Beach lawyer and former Marine, raised about $138,000 and had about $32,000 on hand. Jack White, an Army veteran and lawyer in Northern Virginia who clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. at the Supreme Court, raised $154,000 and ended with $97,000. Leslie Haley, a Chesterfield County supervisor, raised $120,000 and ended with $67,000.
