The campaign finance reports for the two candidates for Superior Court show a big fundraising advantage for Republican Vic Stabile. He has over $145,000 on hand compared to just $7,000 for Democrat Jack McVay.
The Superior Court race is the only statewide campaign in Pa. in 2013.
Stabile raised about $89,000 between June 11 and Sept. 16, when the most recent fundraising period ended. He carried over $72,000 from the previous period.
Most of the money Stabile raised in the recent report comes from the usual suspects: friends, family, frequent Republican donors, and attorneys.
The Philadelphia Trial Lawyers’ PAC, Committee for a Better Tomorrow, gave $10,000 as did Pa. Future Fund (a general GOP PAC) and the PAC for Dilworth Paxson, Stabile’s law firm.
He spent about $16,000 during the same period, mostly for fundraising and media consultants.
Stabile, 56, is an attorney based in Harrisburg. He formerly served as chairman of the Cumberland County GOP committee.
The 145,260.96 Stabile has on hand puts him significantly ahead of where he was at this point in 2011. That year he raised $51,000 during the summer months and had $9,000 on hand for his run against David Wecht.
Judge Jack McVay, 57, lives in Pittsburgh. He was elected to the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas in 2007. He previously worked as an assistant Allegheny County solicitor.
He raised $9,300 during the fundraising period, added to his previous haul for a total of $17,000. After expenditures, he ended the period with 7302.08 on hand.
Three unions gave to McVay: the Ironworkers national ($1,500), Boilermakers local in Pittsburgh ($2,500) and AFSCME in Harrisburg ($2,500). The Pittsburgh-based Burns White LLC law firm PAC gave $2,500.
A McVay spokesman said the candidate raised around $50,000 during a fundraising event at Heinz Field on Sept. 17, one day after the report deadline.
Statewide races for Commonwealth and Superior Court rarely attract big dollar donors, or involved high-profile advertising buys. $145K will pay for a few mail pieces and maybe some cable television ads aimed at getting out the vote among Republican party regulars.
The primary role of the Pa. Superior Court is to hear appeals from the county courts of common pleas.