Campaign finance numbers are showing a lopsided race for all the Democratic primaries for Congress.
Elaine Luria has raised almost $5 million. Shannon Taylor and Tom Perriello have each raised more than $2 million. None of their competitors on the ballot this week in the Democratic primaries have raised more than a million, making the Democratic primaries in these three targeted congressional seats a bit lopsided.
"To win a race, you need support. In order to get support, you need money. To get your message out, you need money. To talk to voters en masse, you need money," says Wes Bellamy at Virginia State University. "And those with the money and the resources can usually spread their message, and as boring as it may seem, those with the resources will win the race."
Brendan Glavin at the campaign finance group Open Secrets says it helps that Elaine Luria and Tom Perriello are both former members of Congress.
"If you've had to run before, you've established those connections with people who are willing to give and people who are willing to max out contributions, which this year, it's $3,500 for the primary and $3,500 for the general," Glavin says. "So, that's a lot of money."
Democrats are targeting three Republican-held seats this fall, hoping to turn those districts from red to blue during an election cycle that tends to favor the party out of power.
