Usually, when us politics writers analyze campaign finance reports in a political race, we focus on where the money is coming from, but I wanted to do something different with the most recent data from the Ben Cline-Beth Macy race in the Sixth District, to look at what the money is being spent on.
I’m sure where this will make me plenty of friends in the campaign offices.
Overview
Beth Macy
- Total raised: $2,634,642.25
- Total spent: $2,109,503.62
Ben Cline
- Total raised: $1,861,291.16
- Total spent: $1,485,777.19
Analysis
Macy is a Democratic Party challenger in what is listed as a Safe Republican district by anybody and everybody, and she’s far outpacing the incumbent in both fundraising and campaign spending.
Campaign staff salaries
Beth Macy campaign
- Total: $86,604.37
Ben Cline campaign
- Total: $64,231.20
Analysis
This is a lot less than I’d expected. Small staffs, managing a lot of things at once.
Consultant spending
Beth Macy
Fundraising consulting
- Payments made to FH Strategies, a political consulting firm specializing in fundraising strategy: $57,500
- Payments made to ActBlue for credit card processing on donations made through the ActBlue online portal: $48,952.37
Total fundraising consulting costs: $106,442.37
Political consulting
- Payments made to SBDigital, a DC-based digital consulting firm: $314,637.17
- Payments made GQR, a DC-based political research firm: $97,500
- Payments made to MRG Strategies, a DC-based consulting firm: $25,500
- Payments made to Grindstone Research, a Nashville-based political research firm: $7,750
Total political consulting costs: $445,387.17
Total consulting costs: $551,829.54
Ben Cline
Fundraising consulting
- Payments made to The Stanton Group, a fundraising consulting firm based in Alexandria: $153,530.30
- Payments made to Laura Bell Consulting, a fundraising consulting firm based in Leesburg: $105,483.69
- Payments made to Ryland Consulting, a fundraising consulting firm based in Richmond: $86,734.98
- Payments made to Campaign Engine Group, a New Jersey-based digital fundraising firm: $23,703.23
Total fundraising consulting costs: $369,452.20
Political consulting
- Payments made to former Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh for media consulting: $96,000
- Payments made to Strategic Partners & Media, an Annapolis, Md.,-based digital fundraising consulting firm: $63,404.84
- Payments made to CD Acquisitions, a Richmond-based digital consulting firm: $35,000
Total political consulting costs: $194,404.84
Total consulting costs: $563,857.04
Analysis
Cline is spending 19.8 cents on the dollar just to raise the dollar. That seems high, particularly compared to the 4 cents on the dollar that the Macy campaign is spending to raise the dollar.
Overall, the two campaigns are almost dollar-for-dollar in total fundraising, with the Cline campaign more focused on raising the money, and the Macy campaign focused on seeking advice on how to spend its money.
One final note
The Cline campaign pushed a total of $209,000 out the door in the form of contributions to:
- the National Republican Congressional Committee: $128,000
- direct campaign contributions to MAGA candidates for Congress and the Virginia House of Delegates: $51,000
- the Stop the Gerrymander effort that Cline organized to try to defeat the redistricting referendum: $30,000
The money to the NRCC went out on:
- March 31, 2025
- June 27, 2025
- 28, 2026
The campaign contributions went out on:
- June 27, 2025
- 1, 2025
- 29, 2025
- 28, 2025
Analysis
Wonder, given how he’s trailing in the fundraising game right now, if the campaign might wish it hadn’t sent that money out the door.
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Chris Graham
