West Virginia: Only One of Eight Supreme Court of Appeals Candidates Seeks Public Financing

Republican Allen Loughry, who is running for the supreme court of appeals, is the only one of eight candidates to seek public campaign financing through the state’s pilot program. The public financing program provides $50,000 to uncontested primary candidates, minus what they raised to qualify, and $350,000 for the general election. (With two seats open and only two Republican candidates, Lowry automatically wins his party’s nomination.) At the end of March, the eight candidates had raised $1.8 million—a 40% increase over the same point in 2008, the last time two supreme court seats were up for election.