Latest report shows Laufer outraising Squire in 55th District race

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - The amount of fundraising raised by candidates in Virginia’s 55th District is out.

There is not a ton of polling for legislative races, so UVA Center for Politics’ J. Miles Coleman says we have to look at the money to tell us how the public is feeling.

“These fundraising numbers are like one of the few good metrics we have to measure these races,” Coleman said Tuesday, April 18.

Amy Laufer appears to have outraised her fellow-Democratic opponent Kellen Squire by $65,772. However, Squire has almost three times the number of individual donations.

“I would say, just generally, more individual donors to me suggests more grassroots support. And this isn’t really to knock either of the candidates is, to me, more money doesn’t necessarily make a better candidate,” Coleman said. Not all of Squire’s donations necessarily come from inside the voter district, that information is not made available.

Coleman says it is less about how much money you have, and more about how you use it.

“During the homestretch of this race, if she [Laufer] wanted to really saturate the airwaves or kind of give her campaign a late boost towards the end, she may be in a better position to do that. So that’s one of the types of advantages that would we bring,” Coleman said.

However, it still could be anyone’s seat in the House of Delegates.

“She could still end up winning this right, even with fewer donors. But you know, that’s definitely one trend we’ve seen in politics is money doesn’t always necessarily translate into more votes,” Coleman said.

Laufer and Squire are the only two candidates in the race, as no Republicans are running.

“That’s something that voters are going to have to keep in mind that next representative of this district is going to be chosen. Not in November, but in the June primary,” Coleman said.

RELATED: 55th District House candidates weigh in on policies

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