Associated Press Published

Dem Governor PAC's $234K Ad Hits West Virginia GOP Nominee

Bill Cole

A national group that boosts Democratic candidates for governor is hitting West Virginia Republican nominee Bill Cole with $233,700 in negative TV ads.

State campaign finance disclosures show the Democratic Governors Association is funding the ad currently running under the name Good Jobs West Virginia. It’s the Democratic governor group’s first major foray into the race.

The ad claims Cole, the state Senate president, misspent $500,000 on a variety of items at the Capitol. The Cole campaign called it misleading and pointed out several official uses for the spending.

The rival Republican Governors Association has spent almost $1.1 million so far backing Cole and attacking the Democratic nominee, billionaire businessman Jim Justice.