August 9, 2004

Bush, Kerry see W.Va. donations grow

By The Associated Press

President Bush won West Virginia by nearly 41,000 votes in 2000. He also raised nearly five times the campaign cash that Al Gore did in the Mountain State.

This year, John Kerry is looking to reverse Bush’s fortunes on both counts.

Bush had collected $405,740 by June 30 from West Virginians who each contributed $200 or more, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C.

His Democratic opponent, meanwhile, had raised $109,465 from large-figure donors, according to center figures based on the candidates’ most recent filings with the Federal Election Commission.

But the latest FEC figures do not include fund-raisers held by the campaign and the Democratic National Committee during Kerry’s July 15 visit to Charleston and in Shepherdstown on July 23.

“We had a goal of raising $500,000” from the two events, state campaign finance director Steve White said Friday. “The total amount raised was about $800,000.”

The campaign will split the money with the DNC, White said.

But the Bush-Cheney campaign also likely held fund-raisers last month in West Virginia. Its state campaign finance director, James H. “Buck” Harless, was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment.

Reports from July are due from both campaigns to the FEC by Aug. 20.

The Center for Responsive Politics totals also do not include individual contributions less than $200. The center estimates that this level of giving accounts for 18 percent of the money raised by presidential campaigns. The larger donations traced to West Virginia and other states by the center compose another 27 percent of the total.

The Bush-Cheney campaign announced last year that fewer than 130 of the nearly 2,000 West Virginians who contributed gave amounts of $200 or more.

Ultimately, Democrats may be hard-pressed to beat or match Bush dollar-for-dollar in West Virginia, despite their 2-to-1 voter advantage over the GOP.

“The Republicans, traditionally, have outraised Democrats in their campaigns,” White said. “Republicans will typically outraise Democrats because of the demographics of the two parties.”

But already, Kerry has had a better showing than Gore in 2000. Gore raised only $52,900 in West Virginia during his entire campaign, vs. Bush’s $250,506. The figures, from the center, reflect only $200-plus contributions.

“The apathy is not going to be a problem this year, either with the fund raising or actually voting in November,” White said. “People feel this is the most important election of their lifetime. Giving money is just part of that effort.”

Harless headed Bush’s in-state fund-raising efforts in 2000 as well. Harless earned the title “Pioneer” with the campaign for raising at least $100,000 for that election. He personally gave another $100,000 for Bush’s inauguration.

Kerry’s Shepherdstown fund-raiser marked an 11th-hour effort by Kerry-Edwards to raise money from private individuals. The following week, the Democrats held their national convention and nominated Kerry for president. That triggered the release of $74.69 million in public funds from the FEC for the campaign. In exchange, the campaign had to end its own fund raising.

Bush is expected to enter the same agreement for an identical amount when the Republican National Convention concludes Sept. 2.