Politics & Government

Virginia Governor's Race: McAuliffe Continues to Outraise Cuccinelli

Who is donating to Terry McAuliffe and Ken Cuccinelli? Many of the spring's largest spenders aren't from the Commonwealth.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe is still outraising Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in the race to become Virginia’s next governor, according to campaign finance reports released this week just ahead of the state's Democratic Primary.

In a race that's captured national attention because of what the results might say about the country's political leanings — particularly ahead of the 2016 Presidential Elections — both candidates have seen some of their largest donations come from out of state.

From April 1 to May 29, McAuliffe raised more than $3.7 million to Cuccinelli’s $2.1 million, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Candidates had to submit their reports by June 3, eight days before the Democratic Primary Election on Tuesday, June 11.

Find out what's happening in McLeanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

McAuliffe is running in the primary unopposed.

The former chair of the Democratic Party maintained his fundraising momentum from the first quarter of 2013, when his campaign raised $5.1 million, more than double Cuccinelli's $2.4 million. As attorney general, Cuccinelli was prohibited from fundraising during the General Assembly session, which overlapped with much of the first quarter.

Find out what's happening in McLeanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

McAuliffe's top five donors for this most recent filing period were:

  • the Democratic Governors Association, with a contribution of $2 million
  • the Baltimore-based Law Offices of Peter Angelos – majority owner and CEO of the Baltimore Orioles – with a contribution of $250,000
  • the Pennsylvania-based media marketing company MCKM Marketing, with a contribution of $100,000
  • Robert Hardie, managing director of Charlottesville-based investment firm Level One Partners and appointee to the University of Virginia’s Visitors Board, with a contribution of $50,000
  • the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, with a contribution of $49,960

First-quarter out-of-state donations to McAuliffe's campaign include large checks from former president Bill Clinton and U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), according to the Washington Post.

Three of Cuccinelli's top five donors for the most recent filing period were major players in Virginia's coal industry. His five largest donations were from

  • the Republican Governors Association, with a contribution of $1 million
  • Pittsburgh-based coal producer Consol Energy, with a contribution of $50,000
  • Richard Baxter Gilliam, a major Republican donor and founder of Virginia-based coal company Cumberland Resources, with a contribution of $50,000
  • the Virginia-based coal company Alpha Natural Resources, with a contribution of $50,000
  • the Virginia-based Altria Client Services, parent company of Phillip Morris USA, with a contribution of $25,000

Energy companies have supported Cuccinelli throughout the race. In May, Cuccinelli unveiled energy policy pushing every resource available but emphasizing coal and offshore drilling, according to the Post.

McAuliffe finished out the filing period with $5.4 million in cash on hand, double Cuccinelli's $2.7 million.

First Lady Michelle Obama helped McAuliffe boost his numbers Thursday afternoon in Northern Virginia, with a private fundraiser at the Sheraton in Tysons.

 

Who are you favoring in the election so far, and why? Tell us in the comments below.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here