Lawson leads in Prince William board chair fundraising; Roem lands big haul in Senate race

Republican Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson has far more money than her Democratic opponent, Deshundra Jefferson, in the race for Prince William Board of County Supervisors chair.

Candidates for the Nov. 7 general election recently filed their fundraising reports for the period ending June 30. All General Assembly, School Board, Board of County Supervisors and constitutional offices will be on the ballot come November.

Incumbent supervisors generally hold a huge cash advantage, leaving political outsider Jefferson to play catch-up with fewer resources at her disposal. Lawson had raised $168,499 with $57,636 in reserves at the end of the June 30 filing deadline. She contributed $18,346 to her own campaign.

Jefferson had raised $70,564 with just $10,350 in the bank after the primary. But to Jefferson, money isn’t everything. She defeated well-financed incumbent Ann Wheeler in a primary upset that stunned the political establishment with a comparatively meager campaign balance.

“Money doesn’t buy elections,” Jefferson said in an interview with InsideNoVa, but she noted that Lawson still holds local donor connections that she lacks, which places her at a disadvantage.

Jefferson said she recently held a fundraising event with Democratic Del. Charniele Herring and hired a campaign manager to work with a fundraising consultant and plan additional events in a bid to narrow the money gap between her and Lawson.

The fundraising fight remains practically even in Virginia’s competitive 21st House of Delegates District, expected to be one of the closest races in the state and one that will help decide which party controls the chamber.

Democrat Josh Thomas, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, had raised $203,918 and held $106,766 in the bank at the end of the most recent filing period, ending June 30. His opponent, former Republican Gainesville District Supervisor John Stirrup, had raised $217,571 and held $90,874 at the filing period’s end.

The district has swung from Democrats to Republicans in the past two gubernatorial elections. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin won the district by 51.4% to 48% in 2021.

The new district covers northwestern Prince William County, north of U.S. 29 and Interstate 66, with some areas between Prince William Parkway and Sudley Road. It includes Haymarket, Gainesville and the Bull Run area.

Democratic Del. Danica Roem, D-13th, has raised huge amounts of money in her campaign for the newly drawn 30th Senate District, which leans Democratic and encompasses Manassas, Manassas Park and western Prince William.

Roem has raised $492,252 as of the recent filing period end, with $235,428 on hand. Her opponent, Republican Bill Woolf, has raised just $54,912 and had just $9,223 in the bank as of the filing deadline.

In an interview, Roem attributed her massive haul to support from local small-dollar donors from the Manassas area. Her campaign has received nearly 1,400 donations below $100 to the roughly 500 big dollar donations she got. Still, cash contributions of more than $100 account for the vast majority of money she’s raised, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

“I’ve been in a position here where we have demonstrated people power,” she said. “More than 99% of my donors are individual human beings … and that shows you the strengths that we have locally, the strengths that we have throughout the commonwealth and the strength that we have throughout the country.”

Roem had more cash in the bank as of June 30 than any other candidate on the ballot in Prince William except Del. Luke Torian, who is unopposed.

Campaign fundraising reports for candidates on the ballot in Prince William County in the fall 2023 general election. Information from the Virginia Public Access Project.

According to Virginia Public Access Project, the Democrats are clearly outperforming in small donors. GOP candidates across VA appear to get most of their money from outside partisan groups. Business donors are only a small part of the pie for both parties.

For instance, over 70% of John Stirrup's financing is from Partisan sources (aka SuperPACs).

The vast majority of Roem's money comes from outside the district, much of it from out of state. Most of the money in-state comes from special interests that love more intrusive government.

44% is not a "vast majority." It's a large minority. Only 6% of her financing comes from "special interests" (single issue groups).

70% is a vast majority.

Lawson will lose by double digits.

Roem is popular and safe (Bill who?).

The 21st House will be tight. Stirrup's chances are based on whether he understands the difference between running as a Republican in Northern Virginia and running as a Republican in Alabama. He has to avoid any mention of abortion and Trump.

Thomas has the advantage as he gets to run as a real Democrat and combat veteran in an area with a lot of college graduates and retired officers.

If you analyze the contributions for Supervisors in Prince William, the vast majority of the money giving the Democrats the edge is coming from Data Center, Developer and Unions that will benefit from building data centers. They are trying to buy their way to be able to build Data Centers wherever they want! As one Woodbridge Developer put it, "Margarets my girl, and she will do anything I want."

Yes, Data Center are big money. Everyone understands that.

They will be built somewhere and will pay $500M+ in tax revenue. The only question is whether that will happen in PWC or will that money go elsewhere.

If that money goes elsewhere, Heritage Hunt and the Rural Crescent (along with the rest of PWC) can look forward to exponential property tax growth, because there is nothing else that can replace that level of lost revenue.

The only skill Lawson has is fundraising. She raised over $1M dollars for her failed Congressional run to another newcomer who only raised $500k. She got whipped. I expect the same this November. Jefferson is focused on resident issues. Lawson is focused on herself. Jefferson for the win! Oh, Roem is a biological male, so not a "she". Stop lying.

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