Democrats raised more money than Republicans in nine of 10 most competitive races for the House of Delegates. That's according to an analysis posted to the Virginia Public Access, which shows several incumbent Republicans falling behind their Democratic challengers – including A.C. Cordoza, Ian Lovejoy, Amanda Batten and Kim Taylor.
"It's showing a very clear sign that Virginians are not happy with the way Republican leadership has treated them," says Virginia State University Professor Wes Bellamy. "They are not and were not happy with the way in which Governor Youngkin ran the state and now people are putting their money where their mouths are."
Outraising your opponent is usually a sign of success on the campaign trail, although Jennifer Victor at George Mason University’s Schar School says it doesn’t always mean victory.
"It used to be the case that the candidate who raises the most money is the candidate that wins. That used to be a fairly, not all the time, but reasonably solid rule," says Victor. "And these days, that’s not always the case – these days partisanship does so much of the work."
Voting has already started, but the fundraising dynamics could be shifting in the final weeks of the campaign. One of the first fallouts from the Jay Jones texting scandal was the cancellation of a fundraiser with noted author David Baldacci.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
