RICHMOND — Republican strategist Ed Gillespie appears to have a commanding financial lead over one GOP rival in the 2017 Virginia governor’s race, while the other contender has not begun raising money.
Gillespie raised about $852,000 over the first six months of the year, finishing the fundraising period with $1.05 million on hand.
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), running for reelection to the House, began raising money for next year’s governor’s race through a political action committee in April. He took in just under $57,000 by the end of June and had about $56,000 on hand, according to campaign finance figures made available Saturday.
But Wittman, whose House reelection campaign is not considered competitive, has a hefty federal fundraising account that he will be free to draw on for the governor’s race next year. He had nearly $1.1 million on hand in that account at the end of June.
A third Republican seeking the nomination, Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart, has said he will not start raising money until he formally declares his candidacy in October. Stewart, who is chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in Virginia, has said his main focus will be on that race until it concludes.
Gillespie had released his fundraising numbers on Wednesday, ahead of a filing deadline Friday night. But it was not clear at that time how he stacked up against Wittman, who had not put out his fundraising totals early.
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