In Senate, Money Follows Power

When Democrats flipped the Virginia Senate in 2019, they also gained the upper hand in fundraising.


Total raised in first 18 months of the last two Senate terms



Chart showing the total amount of money raised by Virginia Senators from both political parties in 2016 to 2017, and the change in amount in 2020 to 2021.

 Senate Democrats

  Elected on or before Nov. 2015

% Change Name Raised 2016-17
(Minority)
Raised 2020-21
(Majority)
264.3%  Louise Lucas $90.2K  $328.7K 
181.7%  Mamie Locke $101.2K  $285K 
131.3%  David Marsden $76.2K  $176.3K 
130.6%  George Barker $69.3K  $159.7K 
120.8%  Scott Surovell $152.6K  $336.9K 
101.7%  Jeremy McPike $71K  $143.2K 
94.0%  Chap Petersen $142.5K  $276.5K 
91.1%  Creigh Deeds $59.7K  $114K 
85.2%  Janet Howell $95.3K  $176.6K 
84.6%  Adam Ebbin $84.8K  $156.7K 
56.8%  John Edwards $46.7K  $73.3K 
54.9%  Lynwood Lewis $57.5K  $89K 
30.5%  Barbara Favola $81.4K  $106.3K 
10%  Richard Saslaw $584.7K  $644.9K 
79.0%   Total $1.71M $3.07M

 Senate Republicans

  Elected on or before Nov. 2015

% Change Name Raised 2016-17
(Majority)
Raised 2020-21
(Minority)
94.2%  David Suetterlein $31.4K  $61K 
-4.6%  Emmett Hanger $129.4K  $123.5K 
-4.9%  Siobhan Dunnavant $220.6K  $209.7K 
-5.2%  William DeSteph $161.4K  $152.9K 
-33.2%  John Cosgrove $100.2K  $66.9K 
-33.6%  Ryan McDougle $332.2K  $220.4K 
-34.1%  Stephen Newman $162.1K  $106.8K 
-35.4%  Richard Stuart $90.5K  $58.4K 
-41.8%  Thomas Norment $649.9K  $378.1K 
-57.2%  Mark Obenshain $210.6K  $90K 
-58.3%  William Stanley $152.8K  $63.7K 
-58.3%  Jill Vogel $124.5K  $51.9K 
-61.3%  Bryce Reeves $356.2K  $137.8K 
-85.8%  Amanda Chase $72.7K  $10.3K 
-38.0%   Total $2.79M $1.73M

Source: Campaign finance disclosures on file with Virginia Department of Elections covering the periods of January 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017 and January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

Methodology: This visual focuses on the 28 current members (14 Republicans, 14 Democrats) of the Virginia Senate who were elected in or before November 2015. These Senators were selected to provide an apples-to-apples comparison of fundraising during the first 18 months of the current and previous terms.


July 26, 2021