13 legislative candidates topped $1 million spent in 2011

By BOB LEWIS

RICHMOND

Thirteen candidates for seats in Virginia's General Assembly spent $1 million or more on their campaigns last year.

An analysis of campaign finance reports filed this week by the nonprofit and nonpartisan tracker of money in politics, the Virginia Public Access Project, shows that 11 members of the million-dollar club were in Senate races.

The largest by far was the nearly $1.9 million former Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw spent trying to preserve the majority his Democrats lost.

A two-seat GOP gain created a 20-20 partisan split with Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling casting the deciding vote last week to put his party in power.

Democratic Sen. R. Edward Houck spent nearly $1.5 million in a narrow loss for an eighth term to Republican newcomer Bryce Reeves, who spent about $1.1 million.

In another race that was critical to the GOP's gains in the Senate, Republican Bill Stanley spent about $1.2 million in a close victory over incumbent Democratic Sen. Roscoe Reynolds.

Democratic Sen. Phillip Puckett was forced to pour $1.36 million into his race to defeat Republican challenger Adam Light in a bitter contest in Virginia's coalfields that prompted Puckett to publicly renounce his party's president, Barack Obama. Light spent $1.1 million.

On the Virginia Peninsula, Democratic Sen. John Miller put $1.2 million into the successful defense of his seat from Republican challenger Mickey Chohany, whose spending came less than $22,000 short of $1 million.

Bert Dodson, a Lynchburg Democrat and wealthy owner of a pest-control firm, spent $1.1 million in his in unsuccessful quest for an open Senate seat. His Republican opponent, Tom Garrett, won while spending only $629,886.

In the House, the only candidates who reported million-dollar campaigns were rivals Ward Armstrong, a Democrat, and Republican Charles Poindexter, both incumbent delegates in a bitter struggle for a Southside Virginia seat.

Armstrong, who had been leader of the House's Democratic minority, spent nearly $1.4 million in his unsuccessful bid. Poindexter spent a shade over $1 million.

House Republicans targeted Armstrong in last year's House redistricting, moving the district near Martinsville that he had represented for about 20 years to the Northern Virginia exurbs. So Armstrong targeted Poindexter, who received in-kind campaign support worth nearly $600,000 from the Republican Party of Virginia.