In targeted Virginia House races, Democrats raised an average of double their Republican counterparts

By

Joel Williams

Elections for all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are taking place on November 2, 2021. Democrats hold 55 seats and Republicans hold 45 seats. This is the first election cycle since 1999 with Democrats defending a majority in the chamber.

Democratic target districts

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced a list of 22 target districts this election cycle. Those candidates combined raised a total of $10.5 million. The table below shows the Democratic candidate in each target district along with the 2019 margin of victory in that district. 

DistrictDemocratic CandidateFunds raised2019 margin of victory
District 10Wendy Gooditis$713,788.18D+4.7
District 12Chris Hurst$666,962.18D+7.2
District 13Danica Roem$428,505.70D+12
District 21Kelly Convirs-Fowler$293,795.62D+9.2
District 28Joshua Cole$617,479.37D+4
District 31Elizabeth Guzman$918,627.01D+5.4
District 40Dan Helmer$751,851.02D+4.8
District 50Lee Carter$212,254.62D+6.8
District 51Hala Ayala$490,068.41D+9.3
District 63Lashrecse Aird$545,017.13D+10.7
District 66Katie Sponsler$268,540.56R+4.7
District 68Dawn Adams$393,149.30D+9.3
District 72Schuyler VanValkenburg$672,504.92D+6.7
District 73Rodney Willett$643,732.59D+4.5
District 75Roz Tyler$418,506.79D+1.1
District 81Jeffrey Feld$58,182.81R+4.4
District 83Nancy Guy$663,716.72D+0.2
District 84Kimberly Melnyk$227,172.73R+2.5
District 85Alex Askew$641,039.39D+3.4
District 91Martha Mugler$377,764.82D+9.7
District 93Michael P. Mullin$200,880.46D+11.5
District 100Finale Norton$281,046.64R+3.9

Republican target districts

The Republican State Leadership Committee announced a list of 13 target districts this election cycle. Those candidates combined raised a total of $3.1 million. The table below shows the Republican candidate in each target district along with the 2019 margin of victory in that district. 

DistrictRepublican CandidateFunds raised2019 margin of victory
District 10Nick Clemente$713,326.86D+4.7
District 12Jason Ballard$268,767.13D+7.2
District 21Tanya Gould$121,031.40D+9.2
District 28Tara Durant$238,446.24D+4
District 31Ben Baldwin$111,337.74D+5.4
District 40Harold Pyon$348,732.88D+4.8
District 68Mark Earley Jr.$191,649.49D+9.3
District 72Christopher Holmes$137,482.63D+6.7
District 73Mary Margaret Kastelberg$284,426.15D+4.5
District 75H. Otto Wachsmann Jr.$214,222.58D+1.1
District 83Tim Anderson$249,838.37D+0.2
District 85Karen Greenhalgh$167,802.67D+3.4
District 91Aijalon Cordoza$39,729.26D+9.7

On average, Democratic candidates outraised Republicans in targeted districts

In the districts that national groups have identified as critical elections for their respective parties, Democratic candidates raised twice as much on average as their Republican counterparts. Democratic candidates raised an average of $477,272 in each race targeted by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Republicans raised an average of $238,461 per district targeted by the Republican State Leadership Committee. 

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 Aug. 31, 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.

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