The candidates — current Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin and local defense attorney Tom Barbour — are the same two who squared off in the 2021 primary for top prosecutor. But while McEachin nearly doubled Barbour’s campaign contributions that year, campaign finance paperwork filed this week shows Barbour with the upper hand this time.

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The reports, submitted Wednesday to the Virginia Department of Elections , show Barbour has raised roughly $126,000 in the last calendar year.

That’s compared with McEachin’s $82,000 in the same span, almost all of which came in over the past three months. McEachin did not receive any contributions in 2024.

To Barbour, it’s an indication that getting an early start to fundraising is critical — and that the winds may be shifting in his direction.

But McEachin says nothing has changed.

“I feel great about things,” she said.

Barbour: ‘Momentum is with us’

Around $11,000 of Barbour’s contributions, or 5%, came from himself. His next-largest donor is Richmond-based cryptocurrency investor Andrew Elliot, who has contributed $10,500 to Barbour’s campaign, campaign filings show.

The $125,512 Barbour has raised this cycle is more than mayoral candidate Maurice Neblett and most City Council candidates brought in during their bids last year.

“Momentum is with us,” Barbour said. “We are having fundraising success, and we’ve been able to build a winning campaign because we stand for real progress that Richmond Democrats want.”

Tom Barbour worked under Michael Herring in the Richmond commonwealth’s attorney’s office before departing in 2018 to start a private practice as a defense attorney.

Barbour has said that, if he were elected commonwealth’s attorney, he would take a more aggressive stance on prosecuting reckless driving offenses — especially those that result in severe injury or death.

“We have to get serious about traffic violence in Richmond,” Barbour said. “I travel to over 50 jurisdictions in Virginia doing traffic defense, and Richmond’s commonwealth’s attorney’s office is the most lenient to a fault.”

Barbour has been endorsed by 1st District Councilman Andrew Breton, who donated $250 to the campaign.

Senators, delegates, councilwomen endorse McEachin

McEachin’s largest donor is Sen. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, who’s contributed $5,000 to the campaign. She also has received $2,500 from Dominion Energy.

McEachin said she’s not particularly alarmed by the fundraising gap between her and Barbour.

“There are yard signs all around Richmond,” she said. “It’s a great thing for the community to see the level and diversity of support I’ve earned across the city.”

McEachin said she stands by her record prosecuting reckless drivers, specifically referring to the case of Shanthi Bahgat , the driver who hit and killed Virginia Commonwealth University student Mahrokh Khan as Khan was crossing West Main Street in January 2023.

Colette McEachin has served as Richmond’s commonwealth’s attorney since 2020.

“She received active jail time” on one count of reckless driving, McEachin said of Bahgat. Bahgat had also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, but a Richmond jury acquitted her on that charge.

“I have 25 years prosecuting a variety of cases, from juvenile domestic relations court to homicides, and the perspective to know how to run a large office in a diverse city,” McEachin said. “Crime is down, second chances are up and accountability is at the forefront of this office’s principles.”

McEachin said her endorsements include Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.; Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor; state Sens. Bagby, chair of the state Democratic Party; Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth; Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield; Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville; and Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico; Speaker of the House Don Scott, D-Portsmouth; Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond; and Richmond councilwomen Stephanie Lynch, Ellen Robertson, Cynthia Newbille, Reva Trammell and Nicole Jones.

Sheriff, treasurer also seek reelection

Richmond residents will also vote in primaries for sheriff and treasurer.

Sheriff Antionette Irving, who’s seeking her second term, has raised around $2,500 for this year’s campaign, her filings show. She faces a challenger William Burnette, who’s brought in nearly $30,000.

Treasurer Nichole Armstead, who was first elected in 2021, is running for her second term unopposed.

Early voting for the primaries, which in Richmond are tantamount to election, begins May 2.