CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Companies owned by Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Raese, an outspoken critic of government spending, have made millions from taxpayer-funded contracts over the past decade.

Raese's corporation, Greer Industries, and its affiliated companies have benefited from public spending at the local, state and federal levels, records show. That includes about $32 million in state contracts between 2000 and 2009 and about $2.4 million in federal contracts.

Greer is a Morgantown based network of businesses that includes the state's largest limestone operation, steel and asphalt companies, as well as media corporations.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is pointing to Raese's contracts, saying he is a hypocrite who is "just in it for himself."

"Raese's priorities are clear," said DSCC spokesman Jared Leopold. "He wants to line his own pockets with government cash, while taking away funds from public schools."

Raese advocates abolishing the U.S. Department of Education and has said government should not be involved in schools.

He faces Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin in a tight race to fill the unexpired term of Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who died in June. The Mountain Party's Jesse Johnson and the Constitution Party's Jeff Becker are also on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Raese spokesman Kevin McLaughlin said all of Greer's contracts have been "awarded through an open, competitive bidding process."

"And unlike some of the other contracts Governor Manchin has awarded, none of them are currently being investigated by a federal grand jury," he said, referring to subpoenas served in August on the state Division of Highways and the Department of Administration.

Raese's companies supply the government with materials such as lime and asphalt.

Throughout his campaign, Raese has called for less government spending. He has criticized federal earmarks and denounced President Obama's proposal for a second stimulus to fund infrastructure throughout the United States.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Raese acknowledged he has contracts with the government, but said he "can't think of very many times when a government agency has helped me."

According to reports from the state auditor's office, Greer Industries has made West Virginia's list of the top 200 state government vendors every year between 2000 and 2009. Records show the state has paid Greer Industries about $31.7 million in that time.

Greer Lime and Greer Limestone also received a combined $709,000 in state work during those years.  

Greer Industries has been awarded about $2.4 million in contracts from the federal government between 2000 and 2009. That's according to the website FedSpending.org, a database run by the nonprofit government watchdog group OMB Watch.

According to news releases, many of those federal contracts were for Greer to provide quicklime for water treatment plants in cities including Washington, Baltimore and Fort Bragg, N.C.

Greer Limestone and Greer Asphalt have also done businesses with Morgantown in recent years, finance reports posted on the city's website show. That work ranges from roughly $18,000 in 2002 to about $382,000 in 2007.

Manchin and Raese clashed on federal spending at a televised debate last week.

The governor said federal earmarks are crucial for West Virginia infrastructure needs - such as water, sewer and Internet broadband service - in rural areas where the private sector won't invest.

Manchin campaign spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg called Raese "hypocritical" for taking public contracts while criticizing government spending.

His criticism, she said, is "just another example of him not telling the truth and trying to divert attention from benefits that he and his companies receive" from the government.

Democrats have slammed tea party-backed Republicans in other states for taking government money while blasting public spending.

Senate candidate Rand Paul of Kentucky, for instance, is an eye doctor who has said half of his patients are on Medicare. Senate candidate Joe Miller of Alaska came under fire for taking farm subsidies in the 1990s.

 Reach Alison Knezevich at alis...@wvgazette.com">alis...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1240.