Three of the top five fundraisers to lose a Virginia House primary this cycle were incumbent Democrats


Elections for all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are taking place on November 2, 2021. Primaries were held on June 8, though party committees could also choose to hold conventions instead of primaries.

Top fundraisers with unsuccessful primary campaigns

The Democratic candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary were:

  • Pamela Montgomery – $774,386.90 – District 2 (Lost primary 68%-32%)
  • Incumbent Mark Levine – $534,948.62 – District 45 (Lost primary 59%-41%)
  • Incumbent Steve Heretick – $507,960.02 – District 79 (Lost primary 47%-41%)
  • Incumbent Lee Carter – $262,065.50 – District 50 (Lost primary 44%-38%)
  • Rod Hall – $240,416.56 – District 31 (Lost primary 53%-37%)

The Republican candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary were:

  • Incumbent Charles Poindexter – $140,994.86 – District 9 (Lost primary 63%-37%)
  • Christopher Stolle – $113,601.00 – District 83 (Lost primary 48%-47%)
  • Rich Breeden – $49,870.00 – District 88 (Lost convention 46%-40%)
  • Lowell Bowman – $40,736.78 – District 7 (Finished third in convention with 20% of vote)
  • Mike Dickinson – $39,535.00 – District 68 (Lost primary 91%-8%)

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Virginia candidate political action committees (candidate PACs) submitted to the Virginia Department of Elections. It includes fundraising activity between Jan. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. Candidate PACs represent individuals who have run for state or local office at any point, including past and present officeholders. This article does not include non-candidate PACs. Primary elections with only one candidate were not included.

This article was published in partnership with Transparency USA. Click here to learn more about that partnership.