News

Democrats collect cash in battle to flip state House seats

Democrat Josh Remillard and Republican Tim Moffitt are running for state House District 117.

By Bill Moss, Published: July 30, 2020

Democratic state House candidates outraised their Republican opponents during the spring as they attempt to flip area seats in the Legislature, second quarter campaign finance reports showed.

Josh Remillard, the Democratic nominee for an open state House seat, raised $16,699 in the period ending June 30 compared with Tim Moffitt’s $4,003.
Moffitt, who served two terms in the state House representing western Buncombe County, now lives in the Bearwallow community of northern Henderson County. His campaign finance report shows a holdover debt from his previous campaign of $97,040 and loans of $39,500.
Remillard’s campaign said his donation total of nearly $17,000 surpassed that of any Democrat from Henderson County in more than a decade. Remillard attracted 149 individual donors with an average contribution of $109. Among his donors were Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer ($100) and Patsy Keever, the former Buncombe County commissioner, state House member and 2012 candidate for Congress ($350). Remillard claims endorsements from state Rep. Joe Sam Queen, the Western North Carolina Central Labor Council, the Sierra Club, Equality North Carolina and 11th Congressional District candidate Moe Davis.
He cash on hand of $12,942, while Moffitt reported a deficit of $21,326.
“I think part of it is, one, Josh is working hard every single day, reaching out to people here in Henderson and across Western North Carolina,” said Daniel Otto, Remillard’s campaign manager. “We’re not doing any face to face (campaigning). We’re making sure we don’t put anybody at risk. We do Zoom events. On the 30th (of June) we had a campaign kickoff with (state Sen.) Terry Van Duyn and (state Rep.) Brian Turner that was Zoomed. We’re gearing up our phone banking effort. We can’t do traditional house parties or knocking on doors.”
Otto came to the campaign from Oxford, Ohio, after a mutual friend told him about Remillard.
“I have experience in red districts and I’ve turned a few blue,” he said. “What really stood out to me is he’s running from a point of service” and would connect with Democrats, Republicans and independents.
So far, no one has announced a debate or candidate forum in the legislative races.
“I reached out to the League of Women Voters and they said they had every intention of having a forum,” Otto said.
If he were to win, Remillard, an Iraq War veteran, would replace Rep. Chuck McGrady, who announced his retirement last year.

Sam Edney raises $122,000

In the 113th House District race, Democratic nominee Sam Edney reported raising $71,186 in the second quarter and $121,682 overall. He reported cash on hand of $85,484 as of June 30. State Rep. Jake Johnson, the Republican incumbent from Saluda, reported that he raised $2,850 in the second quarter and $45,667 overall, and ended the period with cash on hand of $21,185.
Edney also raised more than the Republican incumbent two years ago but lost to Cody Henson. Johnson replaced Henson last year after the Transylvania County Republican resigned.

48th Senate District

In the 48th state Senate District, incumbent Chuck Edwards had a large lead in campaign money over his Democratic challenger, Mills River Town Council member Brian Caskey.
Edwards took in $38,550 in the second quarter, including a personal loan of $8,147, and $126,167 overall. He finished the period with $70,563 in the bank. Caskey raised $14,632 in the second quarter, $38,315 overall and reported cash on hand of $13,907.

11th Congressional District

In the contest to fill the 11th Congressional District seat made vacant when four-term incumbent Mark Meadows resigned to become White House chief of staff, Republican nominee Madison Cawthorn reported that he had received $802,641 overall and spent $638,301, leaving cash on hand of $164,340 on June 30. Cawthorn, a Hendersonville native, has provided $373,324 in self-financing, Federal Election Commission reports said.
Moe Davis, the Democratic nominee, raised $488,313, spent $220,438 and had cash on hand of $267,875. Davis had given his campaign $5,000, the FEC said.
Of Davis’s total, 57.5 percent were in donations of $200 or less while 21.4 percent of Cawthorn’s campaign finance total came in donations of $200 and under, according to OpenSecrets.org, a website of the Center for Responsive Politics.