Tight $$$ in WV-1

In the competitive congressional race just across the Pa border in the northern tier of West Virginia, the money race between conservative Democrat Mike Oliverio and conservative Republican David McKinley is tight as well.

Oliverio raised $360,587 during the third quarter, spent $535,327 and had $113,640 in cash remaining at the end of September. Of the $82,000 he received from PACs little was from unions, which is a rarity in Democratic circles (especially in labor-friendly WVa).

McKinley raised $268,631, spent $431,530 and had $293,931 left in cash. The receipts including $5,000 each from unions for sheet metal workers, ironworkers and Mid-Atlantic laborers. Much of the funding comes from the candidate (the owner of an engineering firm) himself -- McKinley loaned the campaign $150,000 on Sept. 30, for a grand total of $620,000 for the year.

Sitting congressman Alan Mollohan -- whom Oliverio bested in the Democratic primary -- is sitting on $93,000 in cash (none of which he has forwarded to Oliverio, or other Democrats).