September 11, 2004

Donors raise $341,000 to oust Justice McGraw

By The Associated Press

Foes of Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw are seizing a second chance to oust him after his May primary victory, contributing more than $341,000 to his Republican challenger in November’s election, campaign finance reports filed Friday show.

Former Secretary of State Ken Hechler, meanwhile, has contributed another $385,000 toward his effort to return to that office.

Other reports filed Friday show Attorney General Darrell McGraw, the justice’s brother, raised $124,110 and spent $46,379 during the June 5 to Sept. 3 reporting period. His GOP opponent, Hiram Lewis, raised $1,100 and spent slightly more than that amount.

GOP Supreme Court candidate Brent Benjamin had raised only $25,275 before his narrow primary win. A review of his contributors since then show a healthy overlap with donors to Greenbrier County Circuit Judge Jim Rowe, McGraw’s Democratic primary challenger. As with Rowe, Benjamin’s contributors include doctors, corporate defense lawyers and coal mining interests.

Columbia Gas raised $74,002 for Benjamin at an Aug. 26 fund-raiser, while he raised $5,800 during last week’s Chamber of Commerce summit at The Greenbrier. Benjamin spent $171,175 during the filing period, spending a little over half that amount on television ads attacking Warren McGraw.

McGraw raised $124,110 and spent $138,618 during the reporting period, with plaintiff’s lawyers and labor groups among his chief contributors. McGraw had $113,518 on hand at the end of the filing period, compared to Benjamin’s $181,199.

Hechler raised about $5,000 besides what he contributed to his own campaign. The Republican nominee, Betty Ireland, raised $18,790 and loaned her effort another $125,000. She spent $34,432 while Hechler spent $407,365.

Of other reports filed with the Secretary of State’s elections division:

—Auditor Glen Gainer raised $13,661 and spent $10,043.

—Treasurer John Perdue raised $16,480 and spent $12,535.

—Commissioner of Agriculture Gus Douglass raised $1,555 and spent $1,189.

Reports for the filing period must be postmarked by midnight Friday. Candidates will file one more round of campaign finance reports Oct. 16-25 before the Nov. 2 election.