If money talks in politics, voters will be hearing a lot from the three Democratic candidates for governor during the next week.
Perhaps Terry McAuliffe will be the loudest, with $1.2 million to spend in the countdown to next Tuesday's primary.
That trumps Brian J. Moran's $707,000 cash balance and is about twice the nearly $522,000 held by R. Creigh Deeds.
Unopposed for his party's nomination for governor, Republican Bob McDonnell is sitting on $4.9 million.
In the latest fundraising period, April 1-May 27, McDonnell harvested $3.7 million from 2,159 donors, including $750,000 from the Republican Governors Association.
Yesterday was the deadline for statewide and House of Delegates candidates to report fundraising and spending to the Virginia State Board of Elections.
The Virginia Public Access Project, a watchdog of money in politics, posted the latest figures on its Web site.
Money is crucial to communicating via television, radio and direct mail, as well as identifying and mustering votes for a Democratic primary that could be decided by turnout.
McAuliffe, a McLean resident who is a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, continued to lead in fundraising. He collected $1.8 million and pushed his total to $6.9 million.
That advantage has allowed him to blanket the airwaves with commercials, including a television spot in pricey, vote-rich Northern Virginia.
Moran's fundraising, which previously lagged, has improved, which is allowing him to run his first TV ad. Moran, a former state delegate from Alexandria, raised $844,000 for a total of $3.8 million.
He said yesterday that he now has the cash to get out his message and run an aggressive voter-mobilization effort.
Deeds, a state senator from Bath County, raised $676,428 in the most recent period. His total is $3.4 million.
A Virginia Public Access Project analysis shows gubernatorial prospects raising more at this point in the campaign than in 2005, but the difference can be tied to intraparty competition.
Candidates in both parties have raised $25.4 million, compared with $20.2 million in 2005.
Four years ago, there was a nominal contest for the Republican nomination for governor and none on the Democratic side.
In 2009, Democrats are deciding nominations for governor and lieutenant governor by primary. Republicans had a three-way convention fight for attorney general.
Fundraising is lagging down-ticket.
Both parties' candidates for lieutenant governor have raised about $5 million, compared with $6.6 million in 2005.
Those running for attorney general are reporting about $3.9 million, compared with $4.7 million four years ago.
The recession has cut into fundraising, but national money has flooded into Virginia, which is one of two states electing a governor this year.
The other is New Jersey. Because both states were carried by Barack Obama in November, the elections may be viewed as referendums on the new administration.
Contact Olympia Meola at (804) 649-6812 or omeola@timesdispatch.com.
Contact Jeff E. Schapiro at (804) 649-6814 or jschapiro@timesdispatch.com.
Money on hand
Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general reported having these amounts of cash on hand, as of May 27. Figures are rounded:GOVERNOR
Bob McDonnell,
Republican nominee-------------------------$4.9 million
R. Creigh Deeds,
Democratic candidate-------------------------$522,000
Terry McAuliffe,
Democratic candidate-------------------$1.2 million
Brian J. Moran,
Democratic candidate-------------------------$707,000
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Bill Bolling,
Republican nominee-------------------------$929,000
Jody Wagner,
Democratic candidate-------------------------$243,000
Mike Signer,
Democratic candidate-------------------------$183,000
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Ken Cuccinelli,
Republican nominee-------------------------$135,000
Stephen C. Shannon,
Democratic nominee-------------------------$1 million
SOURCES: Virginia Public Access Project and candidate campaigns
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