FEC filings: $19M spent on W.Va.’s US Senate race

Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va.

U.S. Sen Joe Manchin and Republican John Raese reported spending a combined $8.2 million on their hard-fought race for the seat of the late Robert C. Byrd, their latest Federal Election Commission filings show.

While hefty for an abbreviated, 31/2-month special-election campaign, the amount is just shy of the cost of the 2006 contest between Raese and Byrd.

It is also overshadowed by the nearly $11 million that national parties and outside groups devoted to this year’s bout, when control of the Senate appeared up for grabs.

The 60-year-old Raese slightly outspent Manchin, before losing last month’s election by just over 10 percentage points. Byrd had beaten him for a record ninth term by three times that margin. Manchin took his seat Nov. 15, to serve out the two or so years remaining in Byrd’s term. The office is again on the ballot in 2012.

As he had throughout their race, Manchin outraised Raese during the final 20 days. Individuals provided the Democrat with $783,300. Political action committees gave $241,770.

The then-governor proved an able fundraiser throughout the shortened campaign period. Manchin attracted $4.3 million from contributors between his candidacy’s July 20 kickoff and Nov. 2 — three times as much from individuals than Raese, and five times as much from PACs.

Though West Virginians were well-represented among Manchin’s donors, his campaign also gathered funds from 22 other states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Raese’s bid received a total of $1.47 million from people and PACs. Of that, $777,474 came in during the Oct. 14-Nov. 22 filing period.

With Republicans hoping to capture a seat long held by Democrats, Raese attracted money from donors in 31 states.

Personal finances allowed Raese to outspend Manchin by $345,000, $4.3 million to $3.9 million.