Money already talking in Va. governor’s race

As of Tuesday’s presidential inauguration, it’s one executive-level race down and, in Virginia anyway, one to go.

Campaign finance watchdogs are predicting the November governor’s contest of three Democrats and one Republican will cost double or triple what was predicted just a couple months ago.

The difference between then and now: Terry McAuliffe.

The former Democratic National Committee chairman formally entered the race in early January, just days after meeting with one of the commonwealth’s wealthiest businessmen, Randal Kirk, and receiving his endorsement. That endorsement came with a $100,000 cash donation, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonprofit campaign finance tracking group.

With McAuliffe’s widespread recognition - he entered national politics in 1980 on Jimmy Carter’s campaign and later served in key leadership roles for Bill Clinton’s re-election and Hillary Clinton’s presidential election - that $100,000 is largely considered a drop in the bucket of what’s now estimated as perhaps a race of $80 million proportions. That’s three times the amount Gov. Tim Kaine spent just a few years ago. And the sky’s the limit; Virginia does not cap the level of contributions allowed from individuals or businesses.

The next largest single donation - a $75,000 gift from real estate developer B. Mark Fried, according to VPAP - went to Democratic candidate Brian Moran, who was the Dist.-46 delegate from Alexandria until he resigned in December to skirt General Assembly prohibitions against fundraising during sessions. Moran, as well as fellow Democrat and state Sen. Creigh Deeds, announced their candidacies about a year ago, and both have since raised tens of thousands of dollars from those primarily in the fields of real estate, construction and law, VPAP reports.

According to the most recent numbers that were made available Tuesday, VPAP finds Moran with $384,315 in donations from the real estate and construction sectors; $244,102 from the field of law; $192,308, defense; $140,337, business; and $138,649, finance and insurance.

Deeds, on the other hand, has received $209,392 from the real estate and construction field; $176,348 from lawyers and other legal workers; $172,762 from miscellaneous donors; $170,152 from finance and insurance; and $153,687 from business. The bulk of donations from those classified under the miscellaneous category are retirees and homemakers, who gave $102,834 and $47,927, respectively, VPAP reported.

By industry, McAuliffe’s biggest supporters hail from the finance and insurance fields, with a reported $216,635 in donations, followed by business, $211,465; law, $130,630; miscellaneous, $86,410; and real estate and construction, $74,950. More than $50,000 of the money labeled as miscellaneous donations come from authors, VPAP reports. McAuliffe wrote the political memoir, “What a Party: My Life Among Democrats,“ in 2007.

Whether Prince William will see blue or red in terms of party support for this November’s governor election is too soon to tell, especially with only the most cursory of glances at campaign donations. But so far, top Prince William donors seem split, with county residents and businesses giving financial gifts in near-equal amounts to Democrat Deeds and the presumptive Republican candidate and now-attorney general, Robert McDonnell. Deeds has received a total of $11,696 from county residents and businesses, according to VPAP; McDonnell, $11,250.

Moran, meanwhile, has received $4,100 from Prince William, and McAuliffe nothing, according to VPAP numbers.

Top geographical supporters statewide: Albemarle County is proving Deeds’ biggest financial backer, giving a total of $140,313, VPAP finds. Moran’s is Alexandria, with $866,287 reportedly poured into his campaign coffers. McAuliffe’s hot geographical spot is Fairfax County, as residents and businesses there gave $440,113, according to VPAP. And lone Republican McDonnell has seen the strongest support so far from Richmond, with $680,825 collected in donations, VPAP finds.

Republican McDonnell’s top donors by industry, meanwhile, are shown by VPAP as coming from the real estate and construction field, with $445,826; followed by energy and natural resources, with $315,657; finance and insurance, $274985; business, $265,600; and technology and communication, $254,851.

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.