Big fundraising numbers in the gubernatorial race; plus a new poll

The latest in Virginia politics.

Sep 16, 2021

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The 2021 Gubernatorial race is by far the most expensive in history

Gubernatorial nominees Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin are raising record-breaking numbers in their campaigns for governor. The candidates have raised a combined $66 million so far, which is more than double the 2017 totals at the same point during that cycle. The data used comes from the Virginia Public Access Project.

For the latest fundraising numbers as of the end of August in this race:

Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin raised $15,708,862.
- $4,500,000 of that was a loan from Youngkin to the campaign.
- Youngkin’s campaign has $6,028,745 cash on hand.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe raised $11,503,406.
- McAuliffe’s campaign has $12,626,065 cash on hand.
Independent candidate Princess Blanding raised $1,258.
- Blanding’s campaign has $5,955 cash on hand.

More statewide candidate numbers

In the race for lieutenant governor:

The Republican nominee Winsome Sears raised $630,192.
- Sears has $325,626 cash on hand.
The Democratic nominee Hala Ayala raised $800,081.
- Ayala has $888,121 cash on hand.

In the race for attorney general:

The Republican nominee Jason Miyares raised $707,203.
- Miyares has $1,038,094 cash on hand.
The Democratic nominee Mark Herring raised $1,452,180.
- Herring has $1,337,751 cash on hand.

The numbers were made easily accessible by the Virginia Public Access Project.

REMEMBER: It is debate night

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe and his Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin will meet for their first in-person debate tonight at 7 p.m. The debate will be aired on CBS 6 in Richmond, News 3 in Hampton Roads, WZBJ24 in Roanoke, WJLA in Northern Virginia, and streamed online at WTVR.

This newsletter is sponsored by ComFor Care of Northwest Richmond.

Democrats outraise Republicans in the House of Delegates

With all 100 seats in the House of Delegates up for election this November, the Virginia Public Access Project reports that Democratic candidates outraised Republican candidates nearly two-to-one.

House Democrats raised $11,826,701
House Republicans raised $6,093,112

View what each candidate raised

Youngkin releases a new “All Talk Terry” ad aimed at McAuliffe’s teacher pay comments.

McAuliffe and Youngkin in neck and neck race for Virginia governor, new poll shows ahead of first debate - WRIC

by Jackie Defusco and Dean Mirshahi

A new statewide poll shows Virginia’s race for governor is neck and neck. In a close campaign between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin, undecided voters appear to favor the GOP nominee.

An 8News/Emerson College poll released on Thursday shows McAuliffe captured the support of 49% of likely voters compared to Youngkin’s 45%, a lead within the margin of error of plus or minus 3.4%.

A historically Black town stood in the way of a pipeline – so developers claimed it was mostly white - VPM News

By Ben Paviour

As fracked gas fields in West Virginia boomed over the past decade, energy companies jumped at the chance to build massive new pipelines to move the fuel to neighboring East Coast markets. The 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline would have been the crown jewel.

But Union Hill, Virginia--a community settled by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War on farm land they’d once tilled--stood in the way. Residents there fought against a planned compressor station meant to help the gas move through the pipeline, arguing that because Union Hill is a historic Black community, the resulting air pollution would be an environmental injustice.