CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice raised nearly $890,000 for his reelection bid over the past three months, according to new campaign finance reports filed Wednesday.
Democratic nominee and Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango reported raising nearly $564,000 in his battle to deny Justice a second term.
Justice’s campaign reported having about $263,000 cash on hand, while Salango has nearly $153,000.
Salango has been barnstorming the state, holding small outdoor rallies and aiming to convince voters he would do a better job fixing roads and bridges. This week he released an economic development plan aiming to attract industries and expand broadband — a longstanding issue for rural swaths of West Virginia without fast internet.
For his part, the governor has run a victory lap in recent weeks for his $1.6 billion infrastructure bond program, called Roads to Prosperity, which voters approved in 2017. On Monday he attended a ceremony in Nitro, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of Charleston, to mark construction of a road repaving project in the area.
In West Virginia, the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 13. Voters have until Oct. 28 to apply for a mail-in ballot.
Justice and Salango will meet next Tuesday for their first debate, hosted by the West Virginia Broadcasters Association.
