January 31, 2009, was the filing deadline for congressional candidates to submit their campaign finance disclosure forms to the Federal Election Commission. With two of West Virginia’s incumbent Congressional delegation facing possible primary challenges, money will play a large role in the outcome of this election cycle.

As a public service, West Virginia Watchdog presents the top individual and Political Action Committee (PAC) donations in West Virginia’s First, Second, and Third Congressional Districts in the fourth quarter, which began in Oct. 2009 and ended on New Year’s Eve.

As has been reported, Democratic Rep. Alan Mollohan is hurting money-wise. There are six Republicans lining up to face him in 2010, with a possible Democratic primary challenge. The Republicans are David McKinley, Cindy Hall, Sarah Minear, Thomas Stark, Mac Warner, and Patricia Levenson.

Mollohan raised $343,575 in donations between individuals and PACs. He spent $285,552, has $64,599 in cash on hand, but has a $130,000 debt.

Individual Contributions:

• $9,600 from employees and family members associated with Information Manufacturing Corporation, with offices in the Alan B. Mollohan Innovation Center in Fairmont, W.Va. For the last six months of IMC donated a total of $19,200. IMC received over $84 million in Mollohan-directed earmarks between 2000 and 2008. The contracts were for work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose budget Mollohan controls.
• $6,900 from employees and family members associated with Robison International. Robison is a lobbyist firm that represents many of the companies at the Mollohan Innovation Center. The Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation named one of their funds after the founder of Robison, retired Marine General Randall West. Employees of Robison have donated over $34,000 to Mollohan over the years and donated $13,800 for the last half of 2009.
• $6,000 from employees and family members associated with AEPCO, “a leader in demining and demilitarization and security system implementation.”
• $4,800 from attorney James F. Humphreys. Humphreys ran for the Second District House seat that Democrat Bob Wise vacated when he was elected as Governor of West Virginia in 2000. He lost to Republican Shelley Moore Capito in that race, as well as losing in 2002 when he ran against Capito again. Humphreys donated a total $9,600 for the last half of 2009.
• $4,600 from employees and family members associated with N. Powell Construction. Based in Weirton, W.Va., N. Powell Construction provides construction serves in a six state geographical area consisting of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Washington D.C. Powell donated a total $11,500 for the last half of 2009.

PAC Contributions:

• $10,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
• $10,000 from the Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union.
• $10,000 from defense contractor Northrop Grumman, which maintains offices in the Mollohan Innovation Center.
• $8,000 from aircraft manufacturer Boeing. For the last half of 2009 Boeing’s PAC donated a total of $13,000 to Mollohan.
• $7,000 from the United Mine Workers of America. They donated $11,400 to Mollohan for the last six months of 2009.

Republican businessman Mac Warner has the most money so far of any other Republican candidate. He took in $42,542 in donations and paid out $4,139 in expenses. He has $38,403 in cash on hand with no debts.

Individual Contributions:

• $4,800 from employees of Sanza Capital Advisors, a financial services company.
• $4,150 from employees and family members of Virtu Management, a real estate company with offices all over the U.S.
• $3,890 from current and retired U.S. military officers. Warner is a retired U.S. Army officer.
• $2,400 from the McCoy 6 real estate company, which is owned by four of Mac’s brothers: former West Virginia Republican Executive Committee Chair Kris Warner, Ben Warner, Andrew Warner, and former 2004 Republican gubernatorial candidate Monty Warner.
• $2,400 from the chairman of Huckabee Davis & Lisker, a political accounting firm.

The only other Republican reporting donations is businessman Tom Stark. He took in $4,306 in donations, spent $2,373 in expenses, leaving him with $1,932 and no debts.

Individual Contributions:

• $1,000 from Christy & Associates executive Steve Keiser. Christy & Associates is a business development company located in Marietta, Ohio.
• $500 from insurance agent Rick Sprigg.
• $250 from State Farm Insurance manager Dave Harsh.

Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito won’t be facing a primary challenge, but Democrat Virginia Graf will provide some competition in the 2010 General Election. Graf is the former President of the Jefferson County Organization of Democratic Women.

Capito received a total $551,889 in donations between individuals, PACs, and party donations. She spent $219,878, has $381.031 in cash on hand, and has no outstanding debts.

Individual Contributions:

• $12,000 from employees and family members associated with N. Powell Construction. The construction company donated a total $26,400 during the last half of 2009.
• $9,600 from employees and family members associated with Max Capital Group, a life and casualty insurance company. Their total for the last six months of 2009 was $19,200.
• $9,600 from R&E Electric Company, an electrical design and building company. Their total for the last six months of 2009 was $19,200.
• $9,600 from employees and family members of Royal Vendors, a soft drink vending machine company.
• $9,600 from Eastern American Energy Corporation, which specializes in oil and natural gas production. Their total for the last six months of 2009 was $19,200.

PAC Contributions:

• $10,000 from the American Health Care Association (AHCA). The AHCA represents over 10,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, developmentally-disabled, and sub-acute care providers. Their total for the last six months of 2009 was $19,500.
• $5,000 from the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, “a not-for-profit organization dedicated to general aviation.”
• $5,000 from the American Resort Development Association, “representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries.”
• $5,000 from AT&T.
• $5,000 FROM CSX Corporation, a major rail transportation company which operates throughout West Virginia.

Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall is very secure as far as money goes. So far he faces a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Bruce Barilla, an instructor at Blueridge College of Evangelism in Wytheville, Va. The winner could face one of the following Republicans: Lee Bias, Marty Gearheart, and Conrad Lucas.

Rahall received $349,496 in donations between individual and PAC donations. He spent $299,331, but has over $1 million in cash on hand. Rahall also has no outstanding debts.

Individual Contributions:

• $8,000 from the employees and family members of Carnival Corporation, which specializes in cruises.
• $5,000 from employees and family members of Video Game Technologies, which builds gaming machines and works with Native American casinos (Rahall is Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, which deals with Native American issues).
• $5,000 from Tule River Tribe of Porterville, Calif.
• $1,000 from the employees and family members of the Drinker, Biddle & Reath law firm.

PAC Contributions:

• $10,000 from the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE). The IUOE represents heavy equipment operators, mechanics, and surveyors in the construction industry, stationary engineers, and nurses.
• $10,000 from the United Transportation Union (UTU). The UTU is a transportation labor union representing about 125,000 active and retired railroad, bus and mass transit workers in the United States and Canada.
• $7,500 from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. BNSF is one of the companies  that transports West Virginia coal from the mines to the power plants.
• $7,008 from the PAC of Drinker, Biddle & Reath.
• $6,000 from Union Pacific Corp., a railroad company.

Republican Conrad Lucas, a former Capito staffer, has the most money donated of all Republican 3rd District candidates. He took in $16,555 from individual donations, spent $4,032, and has $12,523 in cash on hand. He has no debts and no PAC contributions.

Individual Contributions:

• $2,400 from employees and family members of JS International, a cabinetry company.
• $2,400 from the employees and family members of Hospital Corporation of America, located in Nashville, Tenn.
• $1,500 from employees and family members of the Kirkland & Ellis lawyer firm.
• $1,000 from employees and family members of Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.
• $500 from employees and family members of Poly Corr, which “fabricates and distributes welded polypropylen, polyethylene and PVC tanks.”

Expect the donations between now and the end of this year’s first quarter to grow.