McAuliffe Spent Nearly $100 Per Vote

Deeds won despite McAuliffe's big wallet

By JIM IOVINO

Updated 1:04 PM EST, Fri, Jul 17, 2009

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Brendan Smialowski

Terry McAuliffe was stone-cold cash money during his unsuccessful run for Virginia governor, doling out more than $8 million during his five-month campaign.

But he didn't get a lot of bang for his bucks.

The former Democratic National chairman, and best friend to Bill and Hillary Clinton, spent nearly $95 for each of the votes he received.

Campaign finance reports filed Wednesday with the State Board of Elections show that McAuliffe spent slightly more than $8 million in his campaign. That comes to about $94.75 for each of the 84,640 votes he received in his lopsided primary loss to state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County.

McAuliffe took 26 percent of the vote to nearly 50 percent for Deeds out of about 320,000 cast. Del. Brian J. Moran finished third with slightly less than 24 percent.

The figures reflect money raised and spent by candidates for statewide and legislative offices from May 28 through June.

Deeds got $1 million during that time from national Democratic sources in slightly more than a month after his surprisingly easy victory.

His report shows that $500,000 of the $3.4 million Deeds raised over slightly more than a month came from the Democratic National Committee, and the Democratic Governors Association matched the amount.

None of the three primary candidates received national party funding before the primary. Uncontested Republican Bob McDonnell took in nearly $3.5 million from national Republicans during that time.

McDonnell raised $1.8 million in June, none of it from national party sources.

Deeds also got $500,000 from the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees and $100,000 from the Service Employees International Union.