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Friday, March 29, 2024

GOP candidate leading McGraw in campaign contributions

Morrisey

McGraw

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - Patrick Morrisey, the Republican candidate for West Virginia attorney general, has raised nearly $68,000 more than his Democratic opponent and incumbent Darrell McGraw, according to a recent campaign finance report.

In Morrisey's first report of the election cycle reporting period ending March 30, his campaign reported collecting $151,627.43. His campaign also reported a cash balance, or cash-on-hand, of $144,421.84.

Morrisey's report also showed dozens of contributions of $250 or less, totaling $6,487.43.

Of those contributions of $250 or more, the most notable were a $500 contribution from Tom Graff, a senior partner at Charleston, W.Va., law firm Bowles Rice McDavid Graff and Love LLP, and a $1,000 contribution from former gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney, and another $1,000 from Maloney's wife, Sharon.

In all, those contributions of $250 or more totaled $35,952.00.

Another chunk of money came from various fundraising events.

One such event, held at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington D.C. in March, netted $61,950.

A separate reception, held at Morrisey's D.C. law firm, King and Spalding, in March, raised $19,450.

Still, Morrisey says a majority of his donations came from "hard-working West Virginians across the state."

In the eastern Panhandle alone -- Morrisey's home base -- he says he received more than 125 contributions.

"I am gratified and humbled by the support we are gaining from West Virginians all across this great state," Morrisey said in a statement.

"While we will never match the incumbent's ability to divert taxpayers' monies to wage his political campaign and engage in self-promotion, we will raise the private funds necessary to communicate our message of freeing the state from job-killing federal regulation and reforming the Attorney General's Office.

"We are going to run a positive campaign that makes West Virginians proud," he said.

Meanwhile, McGraw, who has held the office since 1992, reported significantly fewer contributions than his GOP opponent -- $67,547.43 less, to be exact.

According to McGraw's first report, his campaign collected a total of $84,080.

His campaign also reported a cash balance, or cash-on-hand, of $78,627.12.

However, his total expenditures were far less than Morrisey's -- $4,452.88, compared to the GOP candidate's $26,331.90.

Unlike Morrisey, who received more than $6,000 in contributions of $250 or less, McGraw received $1,665.

Of those contributions of $250 or more, McGraw's campaign raked in $21,300.

Labor unions, including the West Virginia AFL-CIO, the West Virginia Appalachian Laborer's District Council, the Building and Construction Trades, and the West Virginia Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, each donated $1,000.

Kent Carper, president of the Kanawha County Commission and a partner at Charleston, W.Va., law firm Hill, Peterson Carper, Bee and Dietzler PLLC, also donated $1,000 to McGraw's campaign.

A majority of those contributions of $250 or more also came from attorneys at the Atlanta-based law firm of Cook, Hall and Lampros LLP, according to the campaign finance report.

A bulk of McGraw's $84,080 came from a fundraising event held at the Charleston Marriott Town Center in November. His total contributions from the event were $31,255.

Another chunk came from a Maple Fundraising Reception held in Charleston, W.Va., in March. At that event, McGraw's campaign netted $21,260.

Each campaign's pre-primary report is due April 23-27.

West Virginia's primary is May 8. The state's general election is Nov. 6.

From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.

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