(From The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 7, 2010)
By ANGELA COULOUMBIS
HARRISBURG – In the race for cash in the gubernatorial campaign, two candidates from Pittsburgh are comfortably leading – but it’s a latecomer from Philadelphia who is emerging as the surprise.
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and state Attorney General Tom Corbett are far ahead of their rivals in the May 18 primary when it comes to money in the bank, according to campaign reports released Tuesday. Onorato, a Democrat, has raised about $1.1 million since the beginning of the year and has $6.7 million on hand. And Corbett, a Republican, has raised $1.8 million in that time and has $4 million in his campaign coffers.
But it is Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D., Philadelphia) who turned political heads with his fund-raising numbers Tuesday.
Williams, who just entered the race in February, has managed to raise $1.7 million since the beginning of the year, the most for that time period in the Democratic field. His contributions included an eye-popping $750,000 from a political action committee that supports school choice.
“For someone not even in the race a month or so ago to have those kind of numbers when there are more established statewide candidates who are struggling – it’s eye-opening,” said Chris Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College, who closely follows state politics.
The other established candidates, said Borick, include Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel and Auditor General Jack Wagner, both Democrats.
Hoeffel has raised roughly $240,000 this year, leaving him with $101,500 in his campaign coffers; Wagner has raised $220,000 this year and has roughly $675,000 in the bank, according to campaign reports.
Although Williams’ full campaign report was not available Tuesday, his campaign said the majority of his money came from political action committees.
The $750,000 was donated by Democrats for Education Reform. Its Web site describes its mission as supporting school choice, including closing down failing public schools and giving parents the choice of an alternative school, such as a charter facility.
School choice is one of Williams’ key campaign platforms.
Williams received an additional $250,000 from a political action committee called Students First, which also advocates for school choice.
Students First spokesman Joe Watkins said the PAC was relatively new and was nonpartisan, so it would also give to other candidates in Pennsylvania this year.
Why $250,000 to Williams?
“We’re excited about candidates who are talking about school choice,” said Watkins, a Republican from Philadelphia who withdrew from the lieutenant governor’s race earlier this year.
Williams also moved $500,000 from his personal PAC, called Make a Difference, and $100,000 from his Senate campaign fund into his campaign committee for governor.
The money will allow Williams to do what few other candidates in the race have been able to do: run television ads.
Williams campaign officials said the senator’s first ads would begin running Wednesday in all but the Philadelphia market and would begin airing early next week in the Philadelphia market.
Onorato is the only other candidate with ads airing.
“This is a TV state,” said G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and political analyst at Franklin and Marshall College, “and buying these commercials is a must.”
On the Republican side, state Rep. Sam Rohrer of Berks County is running against Corbett. His campaign raised $172,000 this year and has roughly $7,000 in the bank, leaving him with the poorest bank account among the six candidates for governor.