Third-Party Groups Spend $14 Million in West Virginia Governor’s Race
The race for the Republican nomination for governor of West Virginia is heating up, with third-party independent expenditure groups spending a whopping $14 million to support candidates and attack their opponents. The biggest spender in this year’s competitive GOP primary is Black Bear PAC, which has spent over $4.1 million to promote Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and attack his top rivals, Chris Miller and Moore Capito.
Black Bear PAC, led by senior advisor Scott Will, a former campaign manager for Morrisey, has been making major TV ad buys in key West Virginia media markets. The Club for Growth, a national conservative advocacy organization, has also endorsed Morrisey and donated millions to support his campaign.
On the other side, independent expenditure committees like West Virginia Forward and Team West Virginia are spending millions to oppose Morrisey and support his rivals. With the race heating up, it’s clear that the battle for the Republican nomination for governor is going to be fierce.
According to State Code, independent expenditure committees are not allowed to coordinate with candidates or donate to them, but there are no limits on how much they can receive in campaign contributions. Stay tuned for more updates on this high-stakes political showdown.
