Fetterman and Oz lead campaign fundraising in big Pa. races

Republicans fight to get ahead

So far, none of Shapiro’s GOP opponents have come close to matching that number.

Jake Corman, who as Senate President Pro Tempore is the most powerful elected Republican in Pennsylvania, is leaning on three different PACs in his fundraising efforts — Corman for Governor, Friends of Jake Corman, and Build PA PAC — the latter two of which he used during his time in the Senate to fundraise for his own campaign, and those of other GOP members.

Some of those reports are still in data entry in the state’s campaign finance system, but Corman’s campaign reports he brought in about $3 million and has $2.7 million of it on hand.

His big contributors include Harrisburg law firm McNees Wallace and Nurick and Committee for a Better Tomorrow, a PAC run by the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Vahan H. Gureghian, the CEO of one of Pennsylvania’s biggest for-profit charter school management agencies, CSMI Management, personally gave one of Corman’s PACs $50,000.

Former Congressman Lou Barletta brought in nearly $1.2 million between his campaign fund and his PAC, Change PA.

Contributors included a PAC run by former GOP gubernatorial candidate Paul Mango, which chipped in $30,000, and $50,000 from Richard Mutchler, who heads the Pennsylvania pharmaceutical company Biospectra.

Former Congressman Lou Barletta brought in nearly $906,000 and finished the quarter with about $243,000 on hand. By far the biggest contributor was Barletta’s own PAC, Change PA, which put in nearly $200,000. Others included a PAC run by former GOP gubernatorial candidate Paul Mango, which chipped in $30,000.

Former U.S. Attorney William McSwain has brought in a little more than $1 million to date, and ended the quarter with about $813,000 on hand.

McSwain recently appeared to secure himself what could be a key source of funding going forward: an endorsement from the Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, which runs multiple robust PACs heavily funded by Jeffrey Yass, Pennsylvania’s richest person.

One of those related PACs, the Commonwealth Leaders Fund, has already begun spending nearly $7 million on TV ads supporting McSwain.

So far, much of McSwain’s other financial support has come from well-off individual donors. His two biggest contributions in this reporting period were $200,000 from former venture capitalist Buck Buckley, and $100,000 from hedge fund manager Jon Lubert.

Otherwise, one of his best sources of funding has been his fellow lawyers. McSwain got strong support from Duane Morris, the Philadelphia law firm where he has been a partner since he departed the U.S. Attorney’s office. The firm — which gives regularly to Pennsylvania lawmakers and political committees on both sides of the aisle, though generally in smaller amounts — gave McSwain $15,000 in his first campaign filing. Twelve Duane Morris attorneys also gave a combined $26,790 as individual donors, and several attorneys at McSwain’s former firm, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath also contributed.

McSwain also loaned himself $100,000 of his own money.

Dave White, a former Delaware County Councilman with close ties to organized labor, who also owns a large HVAC company, has raised more than $3 million, mostly through via from himself.

Other reports aren’t yet publicly available. Notably, Doug Mastriano, a Trump-aligned candidate who has attracted a devoted base of followers in part by baselessly questioning the results of the 2020 election, joined the race last, in early January, and has not yet filed a report.

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This story has been updated to reflect additional campaign filings, significantly adding to the totals for State. Sen Jake Corman and former Congressman Lou Barletta.