Costly Battles for Congress on the Horizon

Democrat Tom Perriello, a candidate for Congress in the 5th District, outraised Rep. Virgil Goode for the third consecutive quarter but the incumbent still has a bit more money in the bank.

According to the Federal Elections Commission, Goode raised $438,000 during the first three months of the year and has $593,000 in the bank. Earlier this month, Perriello reported he raised $600,000 from Jan 1 to March 31. He has $500,000 in the bank.

But Goode, whose conservative leaning district stretches from Charlottesville to Danville, has been stepping up his fundraising in recent months, setting the stage for a costly battle with Perriello.

Meanwhile, the Democratic challenger in the 2nd congressional district, Glenn C. Nye III, is also raising money at a healthy clip for his race against Rep. Thelma D. Drake (R-Va.). Nye reports he has $222,000 in the bank. Drake has yet to release her fundraising report for this quarter, but she had $425,000 in the bank as a Dec. 31.

Nye faces an uphill battle to unseat Drake, who was reelected in 2006 despite an aggressive effort by national Democrats to defeat her. The 2nd District includes the Virginia Beach area.