Out-of-state donors are giving generously to Virginia congressional campaigns, in some cases providing the bulk of candidates’ war chests, campaign finance reports show.
Benefactors from Tempe, Ariz., to Kailua, Hawaii, to Tallahassee, Fla., spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent months to bankroll both Republican and Democratic candidates in the commonwealth.
Krystal Ball, a 1st District Democrat looking to unseat Rep. Rob Wittman, received 79 percent of her individual contributions of more than $200 from outside Virginia in the first quarter, according to Opensecrets.org, which compiles campaign finance data online. The figure does not include money from political action committees.
Matthew Berry, who is seeking to take on Democratic Rep. Jim Moran, has raised $124,000, more money than any recent 8th District Republican challenger at this point in the race. But 75 percent of donations larger than $200 through came from out of state.
Both Ball and Berry are political newcomers.
“When you start off, you get donations from your family, friends and professional networks,” said Berry, who said the yet-to-be-reported second-quarter donations reflected a larger base of Virginians.
That’s not to say that well-established incumbents aren’t also filling their campaign coffers with out-of-state donations. Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher, of southwestern Virginia’s 9th District, pulled in 64 percent of those contributions from outside the state. Rep. Tom Perriello in the 5th District raised 40 percent out of state, while Rep. Eric Cantor, House Republican whip, took in 56 percent, according to Opensecrets.
Political campaigns regularly seize on heavy out-of-state donations flowing to their opponents to suggest a lack of connection to the home district or state. When Terry McAuliffe mounted an unsuccessful bid for Virginia governor last year, his Democratic primary opponents were quick to lash out at his New York and Los Angeles donor base, cultivated during his time as a Clinton fundraiser.
“This sort of thing matters a lot more in a case where a candidate doesn’t have clear Virginia connections,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at George Mason University.
Tim Edson, campaign manager for 11th District Republican hopeful Keith Fimian, said the 47 percent of out-of-state donations his candidate took in reflect the high profile of the race. Fimian is one of two GOP candidates looking to unseat Rep. Gerry Connolly in November.
