Virginia’s 5th Congressional District representative candidates Democrat Gloria Witt, left, and Republican state Sen. John McGuire. (Photos courtesy of respective congressional campaigns)
In a significant fundraising boost, Democrat Gloria Witt for the first time has outpaced her Republican opponent, state Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland, in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, with only weeks until the Nov. 5 election.
Witt’s campaign reported having pulled in $218,627 in the third quarter ending Sept. 30, as opposed to McGuire, who raised $198,577 during the same time, according to the latest finance disclosure data released by the Federal Elections Commission Wednesday.
In total, Witt has raised $276,755 since launching her campaign in March. McGuire, who was engulfed in a vicious primary battle with U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Farmville, for much of the year, has raised $1.15 million during this election cycle.
But after McGuire’s expensive recount following the June 18 primary, where he narrowly defeated Good by just 366 votes out of 62,792 cast, his campaign funds have dwindled to $121,562. For the first time, Witt has surpassed him, reporting $163,905 in cash on hand.
Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker said in a statement Wednesday that while “Republicans are in disarray” in the 5th District, Witt is “laser-focused on running a winning” campaign.
“Her impressive surge in fundraising is proof that Virginians in the 5th District know that she will stand up for them. There’s a reason John McGuire isn’t raising money — he still doesn’t have the support of his own party.”
A spokesman for McGuire’s campaign did not respond to a text message seeking comment.
Fifth District Republicans have been grappling with internal divisions as infighting intensifies ahead of the upcoming election. The close primary race, followed by the recount in August, has deepened rifts within the party, with factions backing either McGuire or Good’s hardline conservative platform.
These internal struggles have raised concerns about the GOP’s ability to present a united front against Witt, leading to anxiety among some party insiders that the lingering tensions could weaken McGuire’s campaign and give Democrats an opening in a district which Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, won with 53% of the votes in 2016 and 2020.
David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg, said that Democrats have been raising “a lot of cash” statewide during the 2024 election cycle.
“Witt seems to have benefitted from this, possibly also the fact that her odds, although long, seem better in the 5th than Karen Baker’s do in the 9th District,” Richards said, referring to the Democratic nominee who is seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, who has represented the district since 2011.
The lack of national money being directed at McGuire “is not surprising,” since the 5th District is seen as a safe GOP seat, Richard added. “But if the GOP is fractured enough in the 5th, Witt may squeak in. I’m still not betting rent money she does win, but her odds are better than before.”
Despite running a strong ground game in the neighboring 9th District, Baker has been struggling to catch up to the Republican incumbent in the money race. According to the latest FEC filings, she raised $93,503 in the third quarter, and a total of $174,419 during this election cycle, with just $78,727 cash on hand.
Griffith, however, raised $164,299 between July and September, bringing in a total of $907,204, mostly from corporate donors. His campaign currently has $559,895 cash on hand.
Democrats, however, have kept their cash advantage in other competitive House districts.
In the 7th District, Democrat Eugene Vindman has significantly out-raised Republican Derrick Anderson during the third quarter, bringing in $6.4 million compared to Anderson’s $781,321. Overall, Vindman has raised $13.8 million for his campaign and holds nearly $3 million in cash on hand, while Anderson has raised a total of $1.9 million, with just over $1 million in cash reserves.
And in the 10th District, state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, out-raised Republican nominee Mike Clancy between July and September, bringing in $1.1 million compared to Clancy’s $205,219. Subramanyam has raised a total of $2.4 million for his congressional campaign, with $674,396 in cash on hand. Clancy, meanwhile, has raised $793,748 this election cycle and holds $563,699 in cash reserves.
In Virginia’s U.S. Senate election, Republican nominee Hung Cao out-raised incumbent democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine in the third quarter with $3.3 million compared to Kaine’s $3 million, despite trailing the senator by double digits in the polls.However, Kaine still leads in overall fundraising, with a total of $13.1 million raised this election cycle and more than $7 million cash on hand. In contrast, Cao has raised $6.2 million in total, with $2.2 million available.
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