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CHARLESTON — With more than a week before the Tuesday May 14 primary races, candidates in contested contests filed reports showing their late attempts to solicit more campaign cash.

Candidates for statewide offices in West Virginia filed their 2024 primary reports to the Secretary of State’s Office Friday covering the period between April 1 and April 28. These reports include contributions, expenses, remaining cash-on-hand, outstanding loans and debts, and the names of donors.

In the Republican race for governor, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey raised the most money during the reporting period, but Huntington ÀÏ˾»úÖ±²¥man Chris Miller has loaned his own campaign more than $5 million.

Morrisey raised $295,506 during the reporting period and more than $3.6 million election year-to-date, leaving him with $695,277 in cash-on-hand. That includes a $70,000 transfer of funds from Morrisey’s 2020 Attorney General campaign.

Pro-Morrisey groups also have spent big promoting Morrisey and attacking his primary opponents during the same time period. Black Bear PAC, funded mostly by the conservative advocacy group Club for Growth, spent more than $4 million since April 3 on behalf of Morrisey. Combined with what the group spent in the prior three-month period, Black Bear PAC Has spent nearly $6 million on behalf of Morrisey.

Americans for Prosperity, another national conservative advocacy group, spent more than $259,000 since the beginning of April on behalf of Morrisey, bringing its total expenditures promoting Morrisey since January to more than $646,598.

The Upshur County Republican Executive Committee also spent $125,669 on independent expenditures on behalf of Morrisey since April 29. The Upshur County REC is part of Team Morrisey, a federal joint fundraising committee (JFC) which includes Morrisey’s leadership political action committee (Blue and Gold Fund), and Morrisey’s 2012 and 2016 attorney general campaign accounts.

According to the primary campaign finance report for the Upshur County REC, it has raised $127,324 election year-to-date. According to Team Morrisey campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, the Upshur County REC received more than $158,000 in transfers from the Team Morrisey JFC.

Miller raised $68,024 during the period and more than $1.6 million election year-to-date, leaving him with $519,539 in cash-on-hand. Miller also took out an additional $2.1 million in four loans between April 10 and April 26, bringing his total loans to more than $5.1 million. Team Morrisey has raised more than $2.5 million since January 2023.

Former House Judiciary Committee Chairman Moore Capito came in second in fundraising for the reporting period, raising $169,144 in April and more than $2.1 million election year-to-date. Capito has $599,454 in cash-on-hand as he campaigns with Gov. Jim Justice, the frontrunner in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate who endorsed Capito last month.

Secretary of State Mac Warner raised $35,534 for the period and $559,038 election year-to-date, leaving him with $166,791 in cash-on-hand. Warner, who believes the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, campaigned with fired Trump administration National Security Advisor Michael Flynn Sunday night in Fairmont at a documentary event. Flynn has traveled the country promoting 2020 election conspiracies.

The winner of the May 14 GOP primary for governor will go on to face Huntington Mayor Steve Williams.

In the race for attorney general, State Auditor J.B. McCuskey continues to lead state Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha. McCuskey, who jumped out of the GOP primary for governor into the attorney general’s race last summer, raised $29,350 for the period and more nearly $1.1 million election year-to-date, leaving him with $260,613 in cash-on-hand.

Stuart, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia appointed by Trump, raised $6,439 for the period and $113,176 election year-to-date, leaving him with $93,117 in cash-on-hand. Stuart took out an additional $3,820 in a loan to his campaign on April 27, bringing his total loans to $80,034.

In the Democratic primary for attorney general, West Virginia Democratic Party Vice Chair Teresa Toriseva is far ahead of former South Charleston mayor Richie Robb. Toriseva raised $8,018 during the period and $31,148 election year-to-date, leaving her with $2,071 in cash-on-hand. Robb raised $250 during the period and $4,345 election year-to-date, leaving him with $697 in cash-on-hand.

In the GOP secretary of state primary, Economic Development Authority Executive Director Kris Warner, the brother of Secretary of State Mac Warner, out-raised his closest competitor during the reporting period, Democrat-turned-Republican former House Minority Leader Doug Skaff, with Skaff pumping more of his own wealth into the race.

Kris Warner raised $36,600 for the period and $110,114 election year-to-date, leaving him with $21,083 in cash-on-hand. Skaff raised $19,027 for the period and $122,840 election year-to-date, leaving him with $28,307 in cash-on-hand. Skaff also loaned himself an additional $100,000 on April 11, bringing his total loans to $350,000.

Coming in third and fourth in GOP secretary of state primary fundraising for the quarter were Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood with $2,050, with $31,426 in cash-on-hand; and former Morgan County Commission member and former state lawmaker Ken Reed with $1,650, leaving him with $186,615 in cash-on-hand. The winner of the primary will face Democratic candidate and South Charleston attorney Thornton Cooper in November.

In the GOP race for state auditor, House Majority Leader Eric Householder is the clear money leader. Householder raised $19,600 for the period and $210,048 election year-to-date, leaving him with $90,189 in cash-on-hand. State Sen. Mark Hunt, R-Kanawha, raised $6,144 during the period and $12,287 election year-to-date, leaving him with $2,228 in cash-on-hand.

Other Republican state auditor candidates include Tricia Jackson, who was removed from her position on the Jefferson County Commission last week by a three-judge panel for purposely boycotting her official duties for months. Jackson raised $2,075 for the period and $11,536 election year-to-date, leaving her with $384 in cash-on-hand. Former Nicholas County lawmaker Caleb Hanna had no report on file. The winner in May will face two-time failed Democratic candidate for state auditor Mary Ann Claytor.

Republican Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt, running for his third and final term, is the clear money winner, raising $13,585 for the period and $237,204 election year-to-date, leaving him with $75,900 in cash-on-hand. Former Putnam County lawmaker Joshua Higginbotham raised more money during the period with $27,772, with only $57,940 raised election year-to-date, leaving him with $8,100 in cash-on-hand. Kenova farmer Roy Ramey raised $1,348 for the period and $22,200 election year-to-date, leaving him with $6,055 in cash-on-hand.