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An Early Look At Fundraising Totals For Virginia's Mid-Term Congressional Candidates

AP Photo / Cliff Owen

The race is on for 2018, and a huge slate of candidates will be on the ballot during primary season this year. The election is only two months away, so candidates are furiously trying to raise money.

Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock is leading the pack of congressional candidates in terms of raising campaign cash. She is an incumbent, which gives her an advantage. And her district is in the most expensive media market in Virginia, so she’s going to need the money.

But Quentin Kidd at Christopher Newport University says there’s a downside to raising a lot of money. Her opponents can criticize her for taking more money from the NRA than any other member of the House of Representatives.

“Barbara Comstock has to account for taking money from the NRA. I would say this, however. I would imagine Barbara Comstock would rather have the money than not have the money.”

One embattled Republican incumbent who does not have a lot of money is Dave Brat. Campaign finance records show he’s raised only about $700,000. That puts him behind several first-time candidates and most of the incumbent members running for re-election.

Geoff Skelley at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

“There are two Democrats who are most likely to face Brat, and that’s Dan Ward and Abigail Spanburger. It’s possible that either of them might be in a position to out-raise him.”

Ward has already raised more money than Brat, and Spanberger isn’t that far behind. That means the next few weeks will be critical for Republicans and Democrats in the 7th Congressional District as candidates test their popularity by dialing for dollars.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.