The 5th District congressional race between Democrat Tom Perriello and Rep. Virgil Goode was a $4.8 million affair in which the top spender won at the polls, pending a recount.
That recount is scheduled for Dec. 16-17, with local electoral boards throughout the district reviewing their election results on Dec. 16 and reporting them to a three-judge panel that will expect to verify the recount the following day.
The state Board of Elections certified Perriello as the winner by a 745-vote margin — close enough to entitle Goode to a recount at taxpayer expense.
Goode sent out a news release Friday about the latest campaign spending reported by the Federal Election Commission, saying the numbers supported his earlier estimate that Perriello and his backers spent $3 million.
Goode’s campaign totaled just under $2 million.
Perriello benefited from $1.1 million in support from outside groups, according to OpenSecrets.org, which tracks federal campaign spending.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the state Democratic Party together spent almost $1 million to help Perriello defeat Goode.
In addition, an outside group called My Rural America spent an estimated $150,000 on TV commercials opposing Goode, according to OpenSecrets. My Rural America is enabled under federal campaign law as a “527 organization” that can comment on incumbents’ records but can’t endorse a candidate.
Goode’s own party, through the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, put about $140,000 into his campaign.
Democrats “just had a lot more money this year than the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee,” Goode said.
“I’m not complaining” about the national party’s support, Goode said, because it also faced other challenges. He added that he never received money from the national party in his six previous 5th District elections.
“This year, I had a competitive race,” he said.
The national Republican Party spent most of its campaign funds on John McCain’s presidential bid, and ramped up those efforts late in the campaign, OpenSecrets reported.
Perriello spokeswoman Jessica Barba said, “Congressman-elect Perriello is so appreciative that we received the majority of our support from hardworking families of the 5th District. We won this race because we provided a better plan for economic revival and job creation, while Mr. Goode is still resorting to the old politics of blame and fear.”
Although Goode didn’t say anything Friday about the contributors to the campaigns, he said during the campaign that Perriello raised funds with the help of New York financiers, including billionaire George Soros.
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