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As of the end of October, candidates for local offices in Washington County had spent more than $69,000 on their campaigns.

The biggest spender was Dennis Godfrey, Democratic incumbent in the commonwealth attorney’s race, who has outspent Republican challenger Nicole price 2-to-1.

According to campaign spending reports, Godfrey has shelled out nearly $16,000, about half of it for television advertising. Price, Godfrey’s former chief deputy, has spent less than $8,000 and has not appeared on television.

Several lawyers are among Godfrey’s contributors, though about two-thirds of the money – more than $10,000 – is his own.

On the Republican side, several candidates have significantly outspent their opponents, though the biggest concentration of money is in support of Bill Gibson to oust Democratic incumbent Kenneth Reynolds on the county Board of Supervisors.

With more than $12,000 in campaign spending, Gibson has outspent Reynolds more than 10-to-1.

A major issue for Gibson’s campaign has been the purchase of the soon-to-be-vacated Alpha Natural Resources office building for use as a county office building, a $7.5 million dollar purchase that, with interest over the 30-year term of the loan, will cost the county more than $16 million, according to county records.

Gibson said the building was wasteful spending; Reynolds, along with other board members on both sides of the political aisle, maintains that it was necessary to meet a long-standing need for a permanent county office building.

Alpha Natural Resources also was among Gibson’s contributors – the only candidate for which the company itself is listed as a campaign donor.

Among school board candidates, the big spender this year is Darlene Rowland, who is hoping to unseat Dayton Owens in District D. She has spent more than $5,000, while Owens has spent just over $1,000.

According to campaign funding records, her campaign is being paid for primarily by a man from Glade Spring named Charles Byrd.

Byrd’s name also pops up in other candidates’ donor lists, though with much smaller contributions than the $4,151 he had contributed to Rowland’s campaign when the reports were filed. According to the records, he gave $500 each to Board of Supervisors candidates Bill Gibson and Mike Anderson.

The biggest campaign contributor all around was Hammond Hunt, the owner of Hunt Assisted Living, who poured more than $10,000 into Republican campaigns. Among the recipients: Gibson, Price and Board of Supervisors candidates Wayne Stevens and Mike Anderson.

The Washington County Republican Party gave $1,200 each to Price and Jim Bebout, who is running for commissioner of revenue. It gave $400 each to Stevens, Anderson and Gibson.

The Washington County Democratic Committee gave $500 each to Godfrey and Treasurer Fred Parker, who is seeking re-election.

Most of the candidates in the local races stuck to traditional, relatively inexpensive forms of promotion such as cards, yard signs and football program ads. But a few bought TV ads.

Godfrey spent the most on television ads, with Bebout and Gibson also appearing on television.

dmccown@bristolnews.com(276) 791-0701

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Campaign spending

Filings as of Oct. 31

Dennis Godfrey, D (commonwealth’s attorney): $15,933

Nicole Price, R (commonwealth’s attorney): $7,737

David Henry, D (commissioner of revenue): $1,709

Jim Bebout, R (commissioner of revenue): $5,663

Fred Parker, D (treasurer): $1,895

Greg Mullins, R (treasurer): $3,202

Fred Newman, D (sheriff): $650

Kenneth Reynolds, D (board of supervisors – District C): $1,115

Bill Gibson, R (board of supervisors – District C): $12,076

Phillip McCall, D (board of supervisors – District A): $2,527

Mike Anderson, R (board of supervisors – District A): $4,881

Wayne Stevens, R (board of supervisors – District D): $3,758

Danny Broyles, I (board of supervisors – District D): $644

Odell Owens, R (board of supervisors – District F): under $1,000

Doug Arnold (school board – District C): under $1,000

Ron Gilman (school board – District C): under $1,000

Elizabeth Lowe (school board – District A): under $1,000

Keith Copley (school board – District A): $1,174.55

Dayton Owens (school board – District D): $1,061

Darlene Rowland (school board – District D): $5,053

Bill Brooks (school board – District F): under $1,000