In the battle to raise cash for the 93rd District House of Delegates seat, Del. Mike Watson (R) is more than $200,000 ahead of his challenger Monty Mason (D).
Watson has raised $322,422 as of Aug. 31, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonprofit that tracks fundraising and spending in Virginia elections. Mason has raised $115,125. Both of those figures represent the total money raised by each campaign since Jan. 1, 2012. The election takes place Nov. 5.
The contested seat represents the southern end of James City County, the city of Williamsburg and portions of York County and Newport News. When it comes to money on hand, Watson is almost $100,000 ahead of Mason. He has $143,424 on hand as of Aug. 31, while Mason has $45,866.
The money will be used on campaign expenses. Commercials for the candidates have already begun to appear on local networks, such as local NBC affiliate WAVY, where Watson has spent $44,150 in TV buys. He also spent $21,600 on the local ABC affiliate WVEC. Watson’s $77,655 in TV buys dwarfs Mason’s $9,705, all of which has gone to WVEC.
Watson’s top donor is the Republican Party of Virginia, which has donated $10,714 to his campaign. Other top donors include the campaign of Terry Kilgore — a Western Virginia Republican House member — and Majority Leader PAC, both of which have contributed $10,000. Watson has also received top donations from Cumberland Resources Corporation founder Richard Gilliam and Dominion Leadership Trust, a committee tasked with raising money for Republican candidates. The Virginia Auto Dealers Association and the Virginia Wine Wholesalers Association have also contributed $5,000 and $4,000 respectively.
Mason’s top donor is the International Association of Firefighters, which has given $10,000 to his campaign. The Democratic Party of Virginia has given $7,000, while the Women’s Strike Force in Richmond has given $5,000. Suzann W. Mathews, who VPAP lists as a former member of the Board of Trustees for the College of William and Mary, has given Mason $5,000. Other donors include the Democratic Party of James City County, his wife Pamela Mason and Reggie Akdogan, who is a Williamsburg resident and the owner of The Precious Gem. Those parties have donated $4,000, $3,000 and $2,500 respectively.
Watson was elected to the House of Delegates in November 2011. The 52-year-old is a member of the General Laws and Science and Technology committees in the House of Delegates. His private sector experience includes work in process controls and precision test-equipment calibration. Mason is the senior director at Visa, Inc., where he works on fraud prevention and risk reduction, and serves as the chairman of the City of Williamsburg’s Economic Development Authority.
Watson and Mason will square off in a debate Oct. 9 at the College of William and Mary. The debate is hosted by Virginia21, a nonprofit organization that tries to bring young people into the political process through education and outreach. That debate, which is open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. at McGlothlin-Street Hall. Questions will be solicited in advance via an online submission form, which can be found here.
