The Virginian-Pilot
©
The hard-fought race in the 2nd Congressional District was the most expensive election in Virginia this year, costing almost twice as much as two years ago, according to new Federal Election Commission filings.
The price tag for the barrage of TV commercials, phone solicitations, mailings and other expenses totaled $6.6 million for Democratic incumbent Glenn Nye, Republican Scott Rigell and independent Kenny Golden, according to reports filed Friday.
The reports, which include campaign spending activity up to Nov. 22, do not include additional expenditures on behalf of the candidates by party organizations and interest groups that paid for their own campaign ads.
Most of the 2nd District campaign funds were raised and spent by Rigell, a Virginia Beach car dealer, who defeated Nye by more than 17,000 votes. The district includes Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore and parts of Norfolk and Hampton.
Rigell reported spending $4.2 million, more than half of it from his personal fortune. He also loaned his campaign another $625,000 of which $225,000 has been repaid. He had $34,000 in the bank as of Nov. 22.
Those totals include the nearly $1 million he spent to win a six-person GOP primary in June.
Nye, a one-term House member, reported spending $2.2 million. That's almost $1 million more than he spent two years ago when he unseated then-U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, a Republican. The Nye-Drake race cost $3.36 million.
Golden, a retired naval officer, spent $126,000.
The only Virginia congressional candidate to spend more than Rigell was U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-7th District, who easily won a sixth term and is expected to become House majority leader next month.
Cantor, whose district is north of Richmond, reported spending $5.1 million.
In South Hampton Roads, the two other congressional races were considerably less expensive and more lopsided in favor of the incumbents.
In the 4th District, U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, a Chesapeake Republican, reported spending $682,000 and had $392,000 in the bank last month.
His Democratic challenger, Dr. Wynne LeGrow of Emporia, spent $179,000 and his campaign was $75,000 in debt. The district includes Suffolk and Chesapeake.
In the 3rd District, U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Newport News Democrat, spent $439,000 for his re-election. His Republican opponent, Chuck Smith of Virginia Beach, reported spending $81,000. The district includes Portsmouth and part of Norfolk.
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com
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If only--
There was a law that sez a candidate can only accept so much for advertising, and that the media MUST provide coverage equally for ALL candidates. Also, we need a law that says every rainbow MUST have a pot of gold at the end. One is as likely to happen as the other. Until then, the best financed candidate will win, especially now that the SCOTUS has ruled in favor of big business.
Saving Dough
Well, it would have saved everyone a whole lotta dough if we had just let Mr. Obama make the pick for us.
He has the best interest of the Nation in mind.So he sezz.
The Big Joke
Our political system has become a huge joke. Politicians and political parties buy elections. We rarely, if ever, get the best candidate available. Even worse, we rarely get a qualified candidate.
Regrettably, I agree.
Money definitely talks when it comes to elections. When so many big businesses contribute so much money to campaigns, one has to wonder what they are expecting in return. It's hard to imagine that they're all doing it because they think their candidate is the best qualified. History shows that most of them will expect some sort of return for their "investment." As for Rigell loaning his campaign some funds, just how does he (and others who did the same for their campaigns) expect to be repaid? If his campaign contributions were sufficient, he wouldn't have had to loan the money. So what is the source of the repayment?
Thanks to the Supreme Corp.
and the "Citizens United" decision(aka: Corporations United) it won't be much longer til the United States has the best government that corporate money can buy.
The party of millionaires
The Republican Party, the party of millionaires.
party
of the _________
by the _________
for the _________
YOU CAN BET YOUR VERY LAST $
that whatever Chris33 says is the exact opposite of the truth.
Of the 237 millionaires in Congress, around 65% are Democrats. The Center for Responsive Politics says California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is the richest lawmaker on Capitol Hill, with a net worth estimated at about $251 million. Next in line: Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), worth about $244.7 million; Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), worth about $214.5 million; Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), worth about $209.7 million; and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), worth about $208.8 million.
Chris
Chris does kind of make things up a lot to make her point. We are all used to that on here.
What do people have against others making money?
Why begrudge a person because they are successful in their lives? At a time when our nation needs successful business leadership to create more jobs, having successful business persons serving in our Congress will be helpful. Congressman Rigell is not a career politican that has never had to earn enough profit to make payroll. He has had to deal first hand with taxes and government regulations that adversely impact his business. Ultimately the strongest Congress is a mix of different citizens from every socio-economic rung of the income ladder. In an age of media driven campaigns there is a significant advantage in being able to pay for TV, radio, and direct mail.