More Candidates Get Early Fundraising Start
The possibility that House of Delegates elections could have been held a year earlier than scheduled and the lure of open state Senate seats created by redistricting have led to a record-setting number of new legislative candidates raising money early. The chart below compares the number of first-time legislative candidates who started fundraising at least 18 months before the next general election.
Amount Raised by 2023 Political Newcomers
Methodology: Includes candidates who have not previously run for office in the past according to VPAP's database of elections and candidates. Amounts shown in the bar chart include schedule A cash contributions, unitemized cash contributions, schedule B in-kind donations, unitemized in-kind donations, and loans received.
Source: Campaign finance disclosure reports filed with the Virginia Department of Elections as of 1 am on July 16, 2022. Candidates drawn from VPAP's unofficial list.
Note: There were no first-time candidates who met this criteria in the 2011 and 2013 House cycles.