Politics & Government

Virginia Lt. Governor Race: Republican Hopefuls Seek Fundraising Edge

Seven Republican candidates are raising campaign dollars before one nominee is named in May.

 

Pete Snyder, one of seven candidates vying for the Republican nomination in Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor race, outraised his challengers in the first quarter of 2013.

The seven hopefuls have less than a month before Virginia’s Republican party gathers May 17 and 18 in Richmond for its convention;one of them will be named as the party's candidate and go on to face the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 5 election.

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Here's a look at where the candidates stand.

Snyder, 40, is an entrepreneur and marketing executive who lives in Fairfax County with his wife. He is the founder and former chief executive officer of New Media Strategies, a social media marketing firm he launched in 1999.

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According to campaign finance reports from the Virginia Public Access Project, donors contributed $276,814 to Snyder’s campaign between Jan. 1 and March 31.

Snyder’s camp began 2013 with a balance of more than $408,000, meaning they raised about $703,000 in the first four months of campaigning. After $506,500 in first-quarter expenses, the campaign has $178,647 in cash on hand.

“Our Republican convention tradition in Virginia is grassroots politics at its best, and it can’t be bought and sold. We are truly grateful for the strong delegate filings across the Commonwealth as well as the robust financial support we’ve earned from our fellow conservatives, who helped us raise more resources in just four months than many other candidates have raised in more than twice that time,” Snyder campaign manager Danny Laub said in a release. “We’re aggressively investing those resources directly into building an innovative and winning grassroots campaign operation.”

Jeannemarie Davis, 57, earned the second-highest amount in the first quarter.

Davis, a Vienna resident and former representative in the Virginia House of Delegates and the State Senate, saw donations totaling $256,620.

Her campaign started the year with a balance of $81,941. Through March 31, 2013, she has reported expenses totaling $187,207 for an ending balance of $151,354.

Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart also had a strong showing during the first quarter.

Stewart’s camp, which started the year with a balance of $405,407, raised another $146,204.

After expenses of $188,523, Stewart ended the quarter with $363,087 in cash on hand.

His campaign has raised a total of nearly $704,000 this campaign cycle.

“I am extremely honored to have garnered such a wide breadth of support from Virginians,” Stewart said in a release. “I firmly believe I bring the intangibles needed to win in November and advance Ken Cuccinelli’s conservative agenda forward in the evenly divided Virginia Senate.”

Susan Stimpson, current chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, raised almost $128,000 through March 31.

Stimpson began the year with a balance of $45,769. After $103,188 in expenses, she has $70,219 in cash on hand at the end of the quarter.

E.W. Jackson, 61, is a pastor, author and businessman. He ran an unsuccessful primary campaign for the Republican nomination to Virginia’s U.S. Senate seat in 2012, losing to George Allen.

Starting 2013 with $17,192, his campaign recorded another $114,000 in donations through March 31.

After expenses of $100,000, the Jackson camp has $31,000 in cash on hand.

Steve Martin, a state senator for Virginia’s 11th District, started 2013 with about $18,600 and has raised another $12,500 through March 31.

After about $29,500 in expenses, his campaign has $1,684 in cash on hand.

Del. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31st) began the year with a balance of $2,599 and raised another $2,100.

After expenses of about $3,100, his camp has $1,600 in cash on hand.

Lingamfelter, 62, was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2002.

Do you have an early favorite for the next Lt. Governor? Tell us in the comments.


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