School choice and vouchers are fueling a nearly $3 million spending spree in West Virginia’s statehouse elections by three outside groups

School choice is driving the avalanche of money being spent on West Virginia Statehouse elections this primary season. Much of the money comes from out-of-state donors.

Early voting is in progress in a controversial and unusually high-priced Midterm election season in the Mountain State.

The Sugar Maple Political Action Committee, the School Freedom Fund and Americans for Prosperity are expected to be the top donors this cycle, pouring about $3 million into campaigns in hopes of influencing voters, particularly on the issue of school choice.

“School choice is a litmus test for Republicans,” he said Jason Huffman, state director of the West Virginia chapter of Americans for Prosperity. The group supports candidates who would defend the state’s school choice laws, he said.

All 100 House seats and 19 Senate seats across West Virginia will be voted on.

The majority of students in West Virginia attend public schools.

The focus on school choice in the Statehouse election comes at a time when West Virginia is experiencing a wave of public school closures Cuts to teachers and staff. Financial problems in schools are largely undecided to the state’s population decline. Many school districts also refer to the state school voucher program, the Hope Scholarshipas a contributor to murky finances.

Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha, who is runs unhindered for re-election, is concerned about what expanding school choice options in West Virginia might look like.

“I don’t know how much further we can push it. It’s definitely scary to think about what’s next,” Lewis said. “I think if we look at the state of public education, a lot of resources and different things could solve these problems.”

Sugar Maple PAC has made a substantial contribution More than $1.2 million was raised this campaign cycle to spend on West Virginia’s general election, and much of it has been spent.

The group that collects foreign money has ties to Gov. Patrick Morrisey. The Republican governor made the school choice And Support of the Hope Scholarship a characteristic theme of his term in office.

MetroNews reporter Brad McElhinny pointed out that several of the PAC’s donors are affiliated with the school choice movement. Billionaire and Pennsylvania resident Jeff Yass has advocated for school vouchers across the country has poured $450,000 into the Sugar Maple PAC in recent months.

“The money is not local,” said Del Vernon Criss, R-Wood, whose House selection has played a central role in pro-school spending. “(School choice) is an issue that the governor’s wife has chosen and promoted through these actions, and she has directed the governor to get involved in it.”

A spokesman for the governor did not respond to a request for comment from Denise Morrisey at the time of publication of this article.

The Washington, D.C.-based School Freedom Fund spent about $200,000 this week alone supporting or opposing candidates for the West Virginia Senate and House of Representatives Expenditure report filed on Tuesday.

In total, they spent more than $900,000.

The group is affiliated with the Club for Growth and advocates for school voucher programs nationwide.

The School Freedom Fund did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

School choice is at the heart of the high-profile House race in Wood County

AFP is a national conservative advocacy group founded by David and Charles Koch.

Huffman said AFP expects to spend nearly $1 million this primary season; Normally, he said, they would spend about $600,000 to $700,000.

As of Wednesday, the West Virginia group has spent more than $750,000 this primary season, according to campaign finance reports. They knocked on more than 25,000 doors nationwide before Election Day.

AFP focuses on candidates who support school choice, income tax cuts and a repeal of West Virginia rules Certificate of need, health lawsHuffman explained.

“We lack a political majority in the House of Representatives, and that has been made very clear by the attacks on school choice,” he said.

They are involved in a high-profile House race in Wood County, where AFP is pushing to oust Criss. He is being challenged by Republican Charles Hartzog.

Criss holds the influential position of House Finance Chairman, overseeing the Legislature’s funding of state agencies, the governor’s initiatives and more. He voted yes about the legislation that created the Hope Scholarship in 2021.

“I’m all for the program,” Criss said when reached by phone Tuesday.

A current studyThe House-sponsored bill recommended that West Virginia restrict the Hope Scholarship comprehensive school voucher program to improve public education funding in the state. The Hope Scholarship provides approximately $5,200 per student that can be used for private school tuition, homeschool materials, extracurricular activities and more.

Lots of AFPs Attacks on Criss this main season have focused on that a bill introduced earlier this year in its House Finance Committee install a few guardrails to the Hope Scholarship. Proposed changes included banning the exploit of Hope funds in out-of-state schools.

The aim of the measure was to reduce the number of voucher programs nearly $300 million price tag. The program’s cost has skyrocketed from $9 million in the first year is open to all students in the coming school year, leading to a massive price augment.

The House Finance Committee ultimately scrapped most of the proposed changes. decide to change only if the voucher amount is paid out to families or directly to private schools. The legislation Didn’t affect how students exploit the program, nor did it lower the price.

“We had several ideas that we talked about in our private caucus, with the full caucus and with the finance committee. We eliminated all other options except the payment program,” Criss said. “This seemed to be acceptable to everyone because they understood the cash flow problem that the two payments at the start of the financial year created.”

Wood County students have one of these highest Rates According to program data, 607 students utilized the Hope Scholarship in the state during the 2024-25 school year. There are several private religious schools in the area.

Criss said school choice is not an issue that is typically raised by his constituents.

While lawmakers made no changes to how parents exploit the Hope Scholarship, Huffman pointed to the original bill in the Criss Committee as a reason they supported his primary opponent. Mailers from AFP said Criss “attacked school choice.”

“He had a bill coming out of his committee that would have excluded thousands of children from the Hope Scholarship, and so we’re trying to elect a more principled leader in this district who will represent the people,” Huffman said.

Hartzog said in a text message that he was running for the House of Representatives.because we need a real conservative in the 12th District.”

“I will always support and defend the Hope Scholarship program because I believe our children deserve every opportunity to succeed and an education built for them. Funding our children’s education should always serve the students,” he said. “I believe West Virginia can become the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

Lewis said there must be guardrails for the Hope Scholarship. Several Democratic bills or amendments to refine the program, including putting an income cap for parentshave not found favor in the Republican-dominated legislature.

He wants to ensure that “the voucher program actually benefits families who need it, rather than supporting families who could probably afford to pay out of pocket anyway.”

Early voting lasts until May 9th. Election day is May 12th.