Diana Gonzales Worthen, a Democrat who declared her candidacy in the Senate District 7 race on Saturday, is holding her first fundraiser Tuesday at the Springdale home of Lynn and Joel Carver.
Worthen is the only announced Democrat in the race, but two Republicans, incumbent Sen. Bill Pritchard of Elkins and Rep. Jon Woods of Springdale, are vying in the May 22 primary election. Candidates have from Feb. 23 to March 1 to file.
Pritchard defeated Lynn Carver, a Democrat, in his first state Senate race in 2006.
Last year on Nov. 17 her husband Joel, a cardiologist, contributed $1,000 to Woods’ Senate campaign. The maximum contribution is $2,000 in the primary and $2,000 in the Nov. 6 general election.
Pritchard and Woods have an early fundraising advantage over Worthen, including personal loans each has made to his own campaign.
Pritchard lent his campaign $15,000 in December and had $64,696 in cash on hand at the end of the year.
Woods, who made a $10,000 personal loan to his campaign in the fall, had $45,018 in cash on hand.
