Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, said local campaigns have a smaller fundraising pool and heavily rely on local businesses and developers. “Although the numbers may be smaller for donations for county office compared to state legislative seats or statewide office, the impact may be much greater,” he said. “There are fewer sources of donations at the county level. That makes the donations that candidates do get all the more valuable.”
