MORGANTOWN — The so-called Blue Wave that led to a Democrat takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives was barely evident in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Republicans lost just five seats to keep a 59-41 majority.
But three of those lost seats were right here in Monongalia and Marion counties, where the GOP incumbents fell to Democrat challengers.
Monongalia County’s 51st District saw a Democrat sweep, with the two Republicans bumped out.
Candidates are presented here in the order of their vote totals. The dollar figures come from their Post-General reports, covering the period of Oct. 22 through Nov. 18 — about two weeks after the General Election.
We also include, as we do after every general election, the candidates’ cost per vote, which is based on spending for the entire season and gives one perspective on how candidate spending correlated with votes received.
Spending by outside groups for local Senate and House races will be reviewed in a separate story.
The winners
Incumbent Democrat Barbara Evans Fleischauer took first, with 16,357 votes (12.21 percent). She came in second for total spending for the campaign season.
She opened the reporting period with an account balance of $28,466.13 and raised another $5,065. She spent $7,956.10 during the period, leaving a balance of $25,587.03.
For the entire season, she raised $78,781.94 and spent $68,474.32. Her cost per vote was $4.19, just a penny less than a candidate who didn’t make the cut, and second highest of the 12.
Challenger Evan Hansen received 15,558 votes (11.62 percent).
He opened with $23,791.16 and raised $1,950 plus $37.50 in-kind. He spent $23,389.65 — the highest amount for the period.
He ended with an account balance of $2,351.51.
For the season he raised $60,658.69 and spent $62,183.59. His cost per vote was $4.
Incumbent John Williams was the biggest spender of the campaign season. He tallied 15,045 votes (11.23 percent).
He opened with $665.70 and raised $9,435; he also lent his campaign $4,300. He spent $14,311.60, leaving a balance of $89.10.
For the season, he raised $82,151 and spent $80,672.22. His cost per vote also was tops, at $5.36.
Challenger Danielle Walker received 14,725 votes (10.99 percent).
She opened with $1,089.60 and raised another $2,863. She spent $6,494.63 this period, leaving a balance of $10,457.67.
For the season, she raised $42,732.89 and spent $28,102.12. Her cost per vote was a relatively thrifty $1.91.
Rounding out the top five, incumbent Rodney Pyles received 14,240 votes (10.63 percent).
He opened with $7,374.14, raised $3,075 and spent $9,727.54. That left him a balance of $721.50.
His total for the season: $23,857 raised plus a $1,000 loan, and $24,135.50 spent. His cost per vote was an even thriftier $1.69.
The bumped incumbents
Republican Joe Statler received 13,051 votes (9.74 percent).
He opened with $16,081.69 and raised $2,400. He spent $7,886.25, leaving a balance of $10,595.44.
For the season, he raised $38,876.52 and spent $28,202.08 — more than Walker and Pyles. His cost per vote was $3.26.
Cindy Frich received 12,601 votes (9.41 percent).
She opened with $14,335.30 and raised $5,380; she also lent her campaign $1,800.
She spent $21,414.69 this period — a final surge after spending relatively lightly in previous periods. She ended with a balance of $100.61.
For the season, she raised $24,755 and spent $26,454.39. Her cost per vote was $2.10.
Mon County’s Blue Wave was evident in Statler and Frich falling to sixth and seventh place. In 2016, Frich tallied 16,182 votes, ranking second and just 87 votes behind Fleischauer. Statler came in third.
In 2014, Frich, Statler and Fleischauer ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Frich tallied 239 votes more than Fleischauer.
And in 2012, Frich ranked second with 14,677 votes, 296 votes ahead of third-place Fleischauer.
All the rest
Republican challenger Debbie Warner tallied 11,058 votes (8.26 percent). She was fourth in overall spending, after Williams, Fleischauer and Hansen.
She opened $14,972.86. She raised $1,750 in individual contributions plus $750 at fundraisers in Charleston and Morgantown. She spent $16,668.67, leaving a balance of $804.19.
Her totals for the season: $48,754.15 raised and $46,415.81 spent. Her cost per vote was $4.20, a penny above Fleischauer’s.
The final four reflect shoestring campaigns or non-campaigns (moneywise) in a couple cases.
Republican Roger Shuttlesworth received 8,885 votes (6.63 percent).
He opened with $648.04 and raised $500. He spent just $100, leaving a balance of $1,048.04.
His totals for the season were $1,850 raised and $757.32. His cost per vote: just 9 cents.
Republican Aaron Metz ran the thriftiest campaign, in that he did no fundraising or spending and filed no reports. That was enough to put him in 10th place with 8,464 votes (6.32 percent), and a cost per vote of $0.
Libertarian Buddy Guthrie ranked a distant 11th, with 3,011 votes (2.25 percent).
He opened with $50, raised and spent nothing this period and kept his balance at $50.
His report contains errors carried from pervious reports, but for the season, he raised $150 and spent $100. His cost per vote: 3 cents.
American Freedom Union candidate Harry Bertram received 942 votes (.7 percent).
He open with $566.39 and gave his campaign another $1,423.57. He spent $1,989.96, leaving and account balance of $0.
His total fundraising and spending for the season was $2,255.44. His cost per vote was $2.39.
Twitter @dbeardtdp
dbeard@dominionpost.com
