Workman
Maynard
Ketchum
Bastress
Walker
Greear
Lewis
McGraw
CHARLESTON – The five candidates for two state Supreme Court seats have raised nearly $2 million combined in the race.
Former Justice Margaret Workman had $640,329 in her campaign account at the end of the filing period that ended March 28. She loaned her campaign $603,500, according to the filings. Workman had $41,050 in contributions, and had spent $3,921.
Chief Justice Spike Maynard had $485,265 in campaign contributions and had spent $143,878 on the campaign, leaving him with $337,914 in his war chest.
Huntington attorney Menis Ketchum had outspent the rest of the Supreme Court candidates so far. His campaign had spent $314,712. It had received $356,729 in contributions and a loan of $190,000. He ended the filing period with $229,686.
West Virginia University law professor Bob Bastress had received $73,726 in contributions and had spent $40,874. His campaign had $30,758 left as of March 28.
Beth Walker, the lone Republican running, had raised $113,514 in contributions and had a loan of $4,691. Her campaign had spent $34,816, leaving $81,978 in her fund.
The 2004 state Supreme Court race was one of the most costly in the United States. The candidates spent nearly $3 million, and outside interests -- most notably the "And For The Sake Of The Kids" campaign backed by Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship -- threw nearly $4 million into that race that saw Brent Benjamin defeat Democratic incumbent Warren McGraw.
In the attorney general's race, Dan Greear has raised nearly four times as much as fellow Republican candidate Hiram Lewis.
Greear's campaign has raised $38,225, according to the reports. Lewis had raised $10,645. Greear also loaned his campaign $15,000. With expenditures of $18,294, that left Greear's camp with $34,720 in its account. Lewis had spent all but $162 of his contributions on the campaign.
The Republican winner in the May 13 primary will face incumbent AG Darrell McGraw in the fall. As of the March 28 filing deadline, McGraw's campaign had raised $102,799 in contributions. His campaign had spent $14,868, leaving $85,545 in his war chest.
