Democrat has $1.1 million for campaign; Republican has $8,818

By Tom Searls
Staff Writer

In one day last month, Democrat gubernatorial candidate Joe Manchin raised more campaign cash than his Republican opponent has raised in the past three months, according to spending reports filed with the secretary of state’s office.

Since mid-June, Manchin has raised more than $1.1 million for his campaign for governor. Republican Monty Warner raised $170,219 during that same time period, ending in early September, according to the candidates’ filings.

That leaves Manchin with $1,163,182 going into the final weeks of the campaign, compared to Warner’s meager $8,818 war chest.

Manchin spent almost $300,000 in the three months covered by the filing. Warner’s campaign spent $214,268 during that time, which includes $6,984 he paid himself back for a loan.

But Warner also loaned his campaign $30,093 during the reporting period, meaning his campaign now owes him $312,873.

Manchin raised most of his money through a series of 27 fund-raisers held across the state in homes, hotels and restaurants, with one in Pittsburgh.

The largest of those was held Aug. 8 at the Radisson Hotel in Morgantown, where Manchin secured $307,762 for his war chest. Behind that was $117,701 raised Aug. 13 in Fairmont; $70,495 at an event hosted by Charleston resident Bob Chilton and his wife, state Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline; and $50,230 raised Aug. 31 at the Esquire Supper Club in Wheeling.

Manchin’s list of donors includes longtime GOP givers such as coal and timber magnate Buck Harless of Gilbert, West Virginia finance chairman for President Bush’s re-election bid; businessman Bill Bright of Summersville, co-chairman of Bush’s state campaign in 2000; and pharmaceuticals king Milan Puskar of Morgantown.

Manchin raised $1,120,410 during the three-month period to go with the $341,598 he already had on hand. So far, he has raised $3.7 million and spent $2.4 million overall.

Warner had $22,744 in mid-June. Including his loan, the campaign picked up $200,342 to go with that. For the entire campaign, he has received $835,325, spent $826,507 and owes loans totaling $318,873.

Mountain Party nominee Jesse Johnson had even less cash on hand for the remainder of the campaign. Johnson had $2,619 in mid-June, raised $420 and spent $2,351. He had $688 remaining.

So far, the third-party candidate has spent $3,461.

In other races, Attorney General Darrell McGraw has also easily raised more campaign cash than his GOP opponent, Hiram Lewis.

McGraw raised $13,495 during the three-month period. Most of that — $10,095 — came from a fund-raiser held July 13 at the Marriott hotel in Vail, Colo., where a national attorneys general conference was held. None of those listed donors had a West Virginia address.

McGraw has $103,954 remaining for the campaign and has spent $31,754 to date.

Lewis has only $2,149 to do battle with the incumbent. He raised $1,100 during the three-month period, which included $1,000 from the state Farm Bureau political action committee and $100 from the Webster County Republican Executive Committee.

For the year, he has raised $4,810 and spent $3,250. The campaign owes Lewis $300 for a loan and reported $397 in unpaid bills.

To contact staff writer Tom Searls, use e-mail or call 348-5192.