Prince William Democrats swamping GOP in money race

Democrats are outraising their Republican counterparts fourfold in the campaign for Prince William County area seats in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Candidates filed campaign finance reports last week covering activity from July 1 to Aug. 31.

In the eight districts covering parts of Prince William County, Democrats collectively raised more than $1.02 million during the two-month period, compared to $237,649 for Republicans. Democrats also outspent Republicans, have more than five times as much money on hand and raked in far more small-dollar donations.

All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are up for re-election on Nov. 2; early voting began last week.  The 40 seats in the Virginia Senate, including five representing all or parts of Prince William, will be up for election in 2023, although by then districts will have been redrawn. 

2nd District

In the 2nd District, incumbent Democratic Del. Candi King is outraising Republican Gina Ciarcia, although Ciarcia received more money through small donations.

The district covers eastern Prince William, including Belmont Bay and Potomac Shores, Quantico and northern portions of Stafford County.

King raised $52,534 in the two-month reporting period, with her biggest donation coming in a $17,500 contribution from the Dominion Energy Political Action Committee. She also received $5,000 from the Service Employees International Union and $1,000 each from Emily’s List, the Virginia Wine Wholesalers Association Political Action Committee and Joanne Witty of Brooklyn, N.Y. 

King received 91 contributions of less than $100, totaling $2,205. She spent $77,790 and has $29,428 remaining. 

Ciarcia raised $27,884 during the reporting period, including $3,074 from 67 small-dollar donations.

Her biggest contributions were $5,000 from Prince William Marine Sales Inc., $3,000 from Virginia Wins PAC, $2,400 from William Torres, the owner of DC Trails, $2,000 from Kevin Curry of Dumfries and $1,000 each from Robert Norton of Irvington, The Spirit of VMI PAC and Del. John McGuire, R-Louisa.

Ciarcia spent $25,949 and has $11,083 remaining.

13th District

In the 13th District, incumbent Democratic Del. Danica Roem raised 20 times more than her Republican challenger, Christopher Stone. The seat represents Manassas Park and nearby parts of Prince William, including Gainesville and Haymarket.

Roem raised $139,007 during the reporting period, including $25,000 from the Clean Virginia Fund. Her other large donations were $2,500 each from Virginia Professional Fire Fighters COPE Fund and Baltimore Washington Construction & Public Employees Laborers PAC; $2,000 from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, $1,500 from Nick Schmalenberger of Roanoke and $1,000 each from John Homes of Woodstock and the Service Employees International Union.

Roem raked in 379 donations of less than $100 each for a total of $9,568. She spent $158,313 and has $62,648 remaining. 

Stone raised $6,884 in the reporting period, with his only large donation being $1,000 from Richard Eagan. He received 18 small donations totaling $1,328.  Stone spent $3,579 and has $7,182 remaining.

31st District

In the 31st District, incumbent Democratic Del. Elizabeth Guzman more than doubled up her Republican opponent, Ben Baldwin. 

The district covers portions of southeastern Prince William, including Montclair and Independent Hill, plus parts of northern and eastern Fauquier County. 

Guzman raised $164,954, boosted by $75,000 from the Clean Virginia Fund. 

Her other big donations were $10,000 from Energized For Change PAC, $5,000 each from Lawrence Hess of San Diego and U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-8th, $4,000 from Swing Left, $3,000 from the Virginia Trial Lawyers Political Action Committee, $2,500 from Win Virginia and $2,000 from the Commonwealth Fund.

Guzman also received eight donations of about $1,000 each. She led the way in the area with small-dollar contributions, raking in 1,357 for a total of $16,906.  Guzman spent $121,696 during the period and has $171,613 remaining.

Baldwin reported $59,746 in donations, the largest being $5,000 from Michael Smith of Middleburg. Baldwin also received $3,500 from The Spirit of VMI PAC and $2,000 from The Cloud Management Corp. 

Baldwin received eight donations of $1,000, including one from Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, and one from  Paul Battista, CEO of Brothers Paving and Concrete in Manassas. 

Baldwin also reported 206 small donations, the most among area Republicans, totaling $10,451.  He spent $74,602 and has $38,472 remaining.

50th District

In the 50th, Democrat Michelle Maldonado raised 18 times more than Republican Steve Pleickhardt. 

Maldonado ousted Del. Lee Carter in the Democratic primary to run for the seat, which covers Manassas and the Linton Hall area of Prince William. 

Maldonado was boosted by several large donations, including $25,000 from the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and $20,100 from Del. Luke Torian, D-52nd. 

She received $5,500 from Win Virginia and $5,000 each from North Carolina developer Hunter Bourne; Donald Hall, president of the Virginia Auto Dealers Association; Newport News attorney Leonard Bennett; the Virginia Professional Firefighters Cope Fund, and the Baltimore Washington Construction & Public Employees Laborers PAC. 

Maldonado also received $2,000 from Freedom Virginia PAC and four donations of $1,500, including one from Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw of Fairfax County.

She received seven donations of $1,000 including ones from U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th, and state Sen. Scott Surovell, D-44th.

Maldonado also raked in 276 small donations totaling $8,471. She spent $37,561 and has $103,516 remaining.

Pleickhardt reported raising $6,730, with his only large donations being $2,500 from VAPAC and $1,000 from The Spirit of VMI PAC. He received 14 small donations for $945.

He spent $2,580 and has $5,711 remaining.

51st District

In the 51st, Democrat Briana Sewell raised 14 times more than Republican Tim Cox.

The seat, which covers the Lake Ridge, Woodbine, Bristow and Nokesville areas of Prince William, is open after Del. Hala Ayala didn’t seek re-election to instead run for lieutenant governor. 

Sewell’s biggest contribution was $25,000 from the Virginia State Legislative Black Caucus and $5,000 each from Virginia Professional Firefighters COPE Fund and the Baltimore Washington Construction & Public Employees Laborers PAC.

She received five donations between $2,000 and $3,000 and three of $1,500. She also reported 14 donations of $1,000, including one from Surovell and one from Sen. Dave Marsden, D-37th.

She reported 428 small-dollar donations totaling $10,713. She spent $147,189 and had $209,776 remaining.

Cox received $10,379 in the reporting period, with his only large contributions being $3,000 from Virginia Wins PAC and $1,000 from New Mission Leadership PAC. He received 30 small donations totaling $1,619.

He spent $9,335 and has $11,424 remaining.

52nd District

In the 52nd District, which includes Dumfries and Dale City, incumbent Democrat Luke Torian appears to be focusing his money primarily on helping other candidates rather than on his race against Republican Maria Martin.

Torian raised $96,770 during the reporting period and spent $194,106. Of his spending, $172,650 was to other candidates, the Democratic party or party political action committees. 

Torian, who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has $455,354 remaining.

Martin raised $23,045 during the reporting period, spent $18,257 and has $9,281 remaining.

Other races

In the 40th District, which represents parts of northwestern Prince William and Fairfax counties, incumbent Democratic Del. Daniel Helmer outraised Republican Harold Pyon.

Helmer raised $276,234, spent $161,726 and has $416,265 remaining. Pyon raised $96,921, spent $94,524 and has $200,275 remaining.

In the 87th District, which covers a small portion of western Prince William and parts of Loudoun County, incumbent Democratic Del. Suhas Subramanyam outraised Republican challenger Greg Moulthrop.

Subramanyam raised $20,632, spent $26,360 and has $76,931 remaining. Moulthrop raised $6,060, spent $2,413 and has $4,830 remaining.