Thursday, September 17, 2009
Democrats get financial boost in House races
Democratic candidates in three area House races have out-raised their GOP opponents.
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roanoke.com/politics
Virginia Democrats continued their push to win three key seats in the House of Delegates, funneling tens of thousands of dollars into three candidates pushing to win two seats now held by Republicans and one that's open.
According to summer campaign finance reports filed with the state board of elections by Tuesday, Democrat Gwen Mason out-raised her Republican opponent, Bill Cleaveland, by nearly a 3-to-1 margin in the open 17th District that encompasses parts of Roanoke, Roanoke County and Botetourt County.
In the New River Valley, Democrat Carole Pratt also received a financial push in her effort to unseat incumbent Republican Anne Crockett-Stark in the 6th District. Pratt out-raised Crockett-Stark by more than 2-to-1.
In the 7th District, Democrat Peggy Frank received party money, too, but she was out-raised by incumbent Republican incumbent Dave Nutter.
Success in raising money doesn't always translate to a win at the ballot box, but it can shed some light on what's going on behind the scenes in a campaign. Support from the state party and House caucus shows that party leaders believe their candidate has a shot at winning.
But the reports also should be viewed for detail.
All three Democratic candidates received about $10,000 in in-kind contributions -- donated services and products that are assessed a cash value and included in the reports.
The in-kind contributions make up only a small percentage of Mason and Pratt's bottom lines, but they represent roughly a third of Frank's fundraising for the period.
In-kind contributions play an even greater role in the 8th District, where Democrat Carter Turner is challenging incumbent House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.
Turner reported more than $17,700 in in-kind contributions -- including $14,500 for "public relations and media service." All told, in-kind contributions made up nearly 55 percent of Turner's total money raised, while Griffith's made up about 3 percent.
