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NEWS
Obama leads McCain in cash
CHARLESTON -- Democrat Barack Obama has attracted more than double the campaign cash in West Virginia compared with Republican John McCain, but the Illinois senator faces an uphill battle to win a state that has voted for a Republican during the past two presidential elections.
The latest Federal Election Commission filings also show that Hillary Clinton outspent Obama 3-to-1 last month before the state's May 13 primary.Clinton's drubbing of Obama in that contest -- she got 67 percent of the vote -- puts Obama's in-state money lead over McCain in context.
"It's one barometer of support that he has in the state," said Dan Leistikow, an Obama campaign spokesman. "It's not the only barometer, but it's certainly encouraging."
Exit polling conducted for The Associated Press during the Democratic primary indicated that little more than a third of Clinton's supporters would back Obama, who received about 26 percent of the vote, were he the nominee.
Besides needing to attract Clinton supporters, Obama is going up against West Virginia recent trend of voting Republican in presidential contests.
That hasn't slowed McCain's efforts here. The Arizona senator's national campaign named Ben Beakes executive director for its West Virginia efforts. Beakes has been a rising figure in state Republican politics, most recently serving as chief of staff to Secretary of State Betty Ireland.
"Sen. McCain takes West Virginia very serious," Beakes said. "We are definitely going to campaign here, to solidify what the polls are showing."
The Obama campaign expects to deploy paid staff to the Mountain State over the next few weeks, Leistikow said.
Obama has received more than $208,000 from West Virginians, including about $38,500 last month, the FEC filings show. McCain attracted about $16,400 in May, bringing his in-state total near $88,600.
As he had for most of this year, Obama also outraised Clinton in May. The former first lady and New York senator had been the money leader in West Virginia among all presidential hopefuls. State residents gave her nearly $436,500, with about $33,500 coming in May.
The filings for May also show that Clinton spent more than $99,700 in West Virginia last month. Such an outlay underscores the flurry of appearances by her, former President Bill Clinton, their daughter Chelsea Clinton and staffers in the weeks leading up to the primary.
Obama, by contrast, spent just under $33,300. Nearly half that paid a phalanx of 35 staffers per diem fees the day before the primary, his campaign finance report shows.
The May filing reflects the trend seen previously in West Virginia and nationally of Obama attracting smaller donations from more contributors. He received nearly 300 contributions, averaging $130 each. McCain attracted 68 donations, averaging $241 each, in May.
Throughout the campaign, Obama has received funds from about 451 West Virginians, according to an analysis by The Associated Press of FEC filings. Nearly 60 percent donated at least twice, while 26 contributed at least 10 times.
Obama's most prolific Mountain State contributor has been Carolyn Sterns of Sistersville, who has given 39 times for a total of $1,091. A former chairwoman of her local Republican Women's Club and a past volunteer on the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, she became a Democrat to support Obama.
"I don't know that I've seen any candidate in either party in a lot of years who has his combination of intellect, charisma and principle," she told AP in March. "I was watching a speech he gave, and when he said 'We're sick and tired of being sick and tired,' I shouted at my television, 'Yes, we are."'
The AP review identified about 148 distinct state residents contributing to McCain. About 47 percent have given more than once. Nine gave 10 or more times.
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Lawrence Messina covers the statehouse for The Associated Press.
