Gillespie's rich friends leave him hanging
Update, Nov. 7, 1:20 p.m.: Ed Gillespie Friday conceded the Virginia Senate race.
When Ed Gillespie decided to run against Democratic incumbent Mark Warner for a Virginia U.S. Senate seat, his bid was universally hailed as a long shot.
No one, though, thought the American Crossroads co-founder, former Republican National Committee chairman and ex-lobbyist would have trouble attracting big money.
Conventional wisdom was off on both counts.
Related: Who's buying the Senate?
Gillespie — and Virginia’s U.S. Senate race — turned out to be the surprise of election night. Warner, a popular former governor who routinely led in polls, claimed victory by fewer than 17,000 votes, and Republican Gillespie has yet to concede. The election could be headed for a recount.
That Gillespie managed to mount such a serious challenge is particularly notable given his token support from outside groups like super PACs, nonprofits and party committees. Gillespie’s surge leaves everyone wondering if he would have upset Warner had such groups invested in Virginia’s race like they did in other U.S. Senate contests from Alaska to North Carolina.
“Shame on them,” said Howard Leach, one of only six donors to the We Can Do Better PAC, a super PAC started to support Gillespie’s U.S. Senate bid. “They should have put some money in Ed’s race.”
Reported outside spending on North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, the most expensive in history, was $81.2 million. The total spent on Virginia’s U.S. Senate race, which appears to be the closest in the country? A measly $2.6 million.
Related: Who’s trying to influence your vote?
There’s more to this story. Click here to read the rest at the Center for Public Integrity.
This story is part of Buying the Senate 2014. Whether Republicans control both chambers of Congress squarely depends on Senate races in a handful of states. Click here to read more stories in this investigation.
Related stories
Pro-gay marriage Republican group boosted by Karl Rove’s super PAC
Billionaires boost Republican governors group past Democrats in fundraising
Rove-affiliated groups spend $175 million, lose 21 of 30 races
Daily Disclosure: NRA goes after Democrats in contested Senate races
Copyright 2014 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
