Reports: Virginia Democrats outdoing Republicans in raising campaign contributions
Democratic House of Delegates hopeful Kimberly Pope Adams raised the second-highest amount in Virginia of contributions to House campaigns for the latest campaign reporting period, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
Pope Adams, who has already locked up the Democratic nomination in the 82nd House District, reported a total of $262,048 in money raised for the April 1-June 5 window, based on data from the Virginia Department of Elections that was compiled by VPAP. That trailed only House Speaker Don Scott of Portsmouth, who raised just over $344,000 for the period.
Political watchers were keeping a close eye on this round of reports, the last before the crucial June 17 party primaries across Virginia. Like Pope Adams, Scott already has the Democratic nod sewn up. He also does not appear to have any GOP opposition this year.
The only House primary next week in the Tri-City area is in District 75 where three Democrats are vying to oppose Republican incumbent Carrie Coyner. In that contest, Lindsey Dougherty continues to outdistance Dustin Wade and Stephen Miller-Pitts.
For the reporting period, Dougherty raised $171,695, compared to $136,276 for Wade and $4,471 for Miller-Pitts. As of June 5, Wade showed more than $100,000 in cash on hand over Dougherty and five times more than Miller-Pitts.
VPAP reported Dougherty raising the sixth-highest amount of contributions for the period, and Wade the 12th.
Dougherty and Miller-Pitts ran against Coyner in the 2019 and 2023 elections, respectively. The 75th District covers all of Hopewell and portions of Chesterfield and Prince George counties.
More: The primary menu for June 17: Heavy on the state races and a first time for Petersburg
In the 82nd District [Petersburg, Surry County, portions of Dinwiddie and Prince George], Pope Adams continues to run away from GOP incumbent Kim Taylor in campaign contributions.
For the latest reporting period, Pope Adams' total was more than four times that of Taylor, who listed receiving $64,489 in donations. Her cash-on-hand amount of $289,468 was eight times more than Taylor's $34,502.
The race is a rerun of 2023's race, one of the top three most expensive contests in recent Virginia political history. Taylor squeaked out a victory over Pope Adams by only 53 votes following a recount, and Democrats are clocking the 2025 race as pivotal in holding their slim majority in the House for the next two years.
Pope Adams' contributions included $25,000 from the Clean Virginia Fund on April 23, $7,500 from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC on May 14, and three $5,000 donations from Elizabeth Simons on May 29, The Next 50 PAC on April 30 and Fund Her PAC on April 29.
Taylor's largest contributions for the period were $20,000 from the Dominion Energy PAC on May 8, $10,000 from the Wren Williams for Delegate campaign on April 24, and identical $7,500 amounts from Friends of Scott Wyatt on April 2 and Chris Runion for Delegate on June 5.
The reports indicate Taylor getting three donations of $100 or less, and Pope Adams receiving 1,461.
More: House GOP incumbent lauds endorsement from local Democratic group. Democrats cry 'foul'
In the 75th District primary, Dougherty received two contributions totaling $80,000 from the super PAC Secure Progress and $35,000 from the campaign of Democratic Del. Dan Helmer. Wade's top donations were $5,000 from himself and two donations from Anita Thurston totaling $4,500.
Miller-Pitts' sole contribution of over $100 for the period was $250 from Rhonda Clanton-Davis.
Coyner, a Republican seeking her fourth term in the House, received $69,056 in contributions over the period. Her largest donations were $10,000 from Carolyn Williams, $7,500 from Strong Start PAC, and three of $5,000 each from Thomas McInerney, Vision Management Services, and Clean Virginia Fund.
Records indicate her having $315,350 in cash on hand as of June 5.
The district traditionally leans Republican. Coyner has won re-election with as much as 55% of the vote, but Democrats still target her as vulnerable.
In Petersburg, history is being made with the first-ever Democratic primary for the constitutional officer Commissioner of the Revenue. Incumbent Brittani Flowers is being challenged by Mary 'Liz Stith' Howard for the right to be the Democrat on the November ballot.
Five years ago, the Virginia General Assembly voted to allow any local-office candidate [except School Board] to seek official party backing. The law went into effect last year, as Petersburg Vice Mayor Darrin Hill received the Democratic nomination for his Ward 2 seat by acclimation.
The commissioner primary is the first contested one in Petersburg.
Campaign records show Flowers receiving just shy of $3,000 in contributions for the reporting period. Her largest donations were $500 from former state Senate candidate Waylin Ross and $300 from Bernard Flowers Jr.
Howard did not record any contributions for the reporting period.
Petersburg City Councilor Marlow Jones, who is running as an independent for Virginia's lieutenant governor, raised $700 in donations during the latest reporting period. Five hundred dollars came from three contributions of more than $100. The remaining $200 was split among five contributions of less than $100.
To see the latest donation data for any race this year, click on the VPAP website.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Virginia primary 2025: Campaign finance reports show money pouring in
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