Three endangered House Republicans from Virginia began the four-month sprint to the November election with more cash than their Democratic challengers, according to the latest campaign finance numbers.
Rep. Barbara Comstock of Northern Virginia is among the most vulnerable Republicans in the country. She had $1.7 million cash on hand by the end of June, which is more than double the war chest of her Democratic challenger, state Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-Loudoun), who had $765,705.
Rep. Dave Brat of the Richmond suburbs had $917,101 cash on hand, which is nearly twice as much as Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who had $465,074.
And Rep. Scott W. Taylor of Virginia Beach had $1 million to spend compared with Democrat Elaine Luria, who had $818,418.
The fundraising totals reflect donations and spending in the final months of the primary season and the following three weeks after that June 12 contest.
Wexton and Spanberger spent much of what they raised over the past year in competitive primary contests.
Wexton spent about $871,336 for the quarter to defeat six fellow Democrats for the nomination.
Comstock spent $1.13 million for the quarter, including about $500,000 to defeat a little-known challenger from the right, according to a campaign spokesman.
Comstock won about 61 percent of the vote against Shak Hill, who said that the two-term congresswoman wasn’t sufficiently supportive of Trump. She has mostly voted with her Republican colleagues in the House but has been critical of Trump on occasion, including during talk of a government shutdown. She urged him to drop out of the presidential campaign after the “Access Hollywood” video surfaced in which he bragged about grabbing women by their genitals.
Her challenge in the general will be convincing independent voters that she can be skeptical of Trump without alienating Republicans loyal to the president.
Comstock’s supporters have tried to portray Wexton as too liberal for the district and say she will vote in lockstep with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Pelosi’s campaign committee and leadership PAC gave $14,000 to Wexton in the past fundraising quarter, half of which Wexton will use to pay down primary debt.
“Money talks, and those checks say that Jennifer Wexton will vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker,” said Garren Shipley, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee.
Wexton’s campaign manager, Ray Rieling, declined to comment.
Wexton spent $550,000 in the final two weeks of the primary campaign on a television ad that traded on Trump’s low favorability ratings in Northern Virginia. She spent another $100,000 on direct mail. She carried over $45,643 in debt from mailers.
Comstock has raised $3.86 million so far in her quest for a third term, and Wexton has raised $1.9 million. Each raised about $1 million for the quarter.
In addition to the millions more they will raise as individuals, both campaigns are expected to enjoy a boost from outside groups that want to maintain the Republican majority in the House or win enough seats to put Democrats in control.
For example, the National Rifle Association has endorsed Comstock while Emily’s List, which backs female candidates who support abortion rights, has endorsed Wexton.
Comstock’s latest prominent donors include Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone and his wife, Elaine; the Susan B. Anthony List, which supports candidates who oppose abortion; the National Shooting Sports Foundation; and Dominion Energy.
She also received donations from American and United airlines; her district includes Dulles International Airport.
Comstock’s GOP House colleagues also showed their support through PACs committed to electing women and candidates who considers themselves centrists, such as the Tuesday Group PAC and GOP Winning Women.
Wexton, meanwhile, collected donations from unions, including the United Food and Commercial Workers and the United Transportation Union.
She was also backed by Common Ground PAC, Sen. Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) group; the liberal Jewish group J Street PAC; the League of Conservation Voters; the New Democrat Coalition; and Progressive Choices PAC.
Independent analysts from the Cook Political Report and the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics say the race leans Democratic, while Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections ranks it a toss-up.
The next competitive race could be Brat’s attempt to hold on to his seat in the face of a challenge from former CIA agent Spanberger, who has harnessed anti-Trump enthusiasm in the suburban district.
Overall, she has raised $1.35 million to Brat’s $1.34 million. During the quarter, she took in $624,913 compared with Brat’s $483,297.
Cook and U-Va. consider the contest a toss-up, and Gonzales says it leans Republican.
In Hampton Roads, Taylor has raised $2.8 million in his bid for a second term compared with $1.3 million raised by Luria. He is a former Navy SEAL, and she is a former Navy commander — experience that plays well in the military-heavy district.
In the latest quarter, she raised $945,374 to his $740,992.
Cook says the race leans Republican while U-Va. considers it a toss-up partly because Trump won the district by only a few points in 2016.
Finally, Democrats are hoping for an upset in the central Virginia district represented by Rep. Thomas Garrett, who is not seeking reelection. The Republican, distillery operator Denver Riggleman, is favored to win over former journalist Leslie Cockburn.
In the month since he won the chance to replace Garrett on the ballot, Riggleman raised $217,442. Cockburn had more than twice that in cash on hand and has raised a total of $1.28 million.
Cook and U-Va. say the race leans Republican.
