Update: Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny) released his second quarter fundraising figures Sunday, and it appears the primary took its toll.
In the second quarter, Murphy’s campaign raised $290,125 and spent $654,528.78, leaving him a healthy $1,024,586.76 in cash on hand. Unlike Maggi, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary election, Murphy faced a competitive primary in challenger Evan Feinberg. More hours courting voters means fewer hours calling donors – hence the slowdown.
Though Maggi trails Murphy by about $600K ($1M to $400K), his bankroll likely has the attention of national stakeholders.
—
Fortunes appear to be looking up for Larry Maggi in the race for Congress in PA-18. The Washington County Commissioner reports having raised $203,000 in the second quarter and $405,000 cash on hand, each the largest amount ever for a challenger to Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny).
The announcement today comes after a successful first quarter where Maggi raised $169,254. Unlike last time however, when Maggi lent himself $126,000, none of the latest haul came from loans. With a pair of successful fundraising efforts in hand, Maggi renewed his hopes of earning further recognition from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Currently, the DCCC classifies Maggi’s campaign an “Emerging Race.” The ultimate goal is to win a spot on the committee’s “Red to Blue” list, the top recognition for challengers and a boost for future fundraising.
Murphy’s been serving since 2002. While he hasn’t released his Q2 numbers yet, he finished March with $1.4 million on hand. He subsequently fended off a primary challenge from Evan Feinberg and it remains to be seen how much he was able to keep in the bank.
Maggi’s campaign notes that his $405K cash on hand exceeds that of any Murphy challenger ever, easily surpassing 2008 challenger Stephen O’Donnell, who had 200,485 in the first quarter of 2008. O’Donnell raised about $340,000 the entire cycle, also the most of any Murphy challenger. The maximum raised by a Murphy challenger in a quarter was $90,000 by Dan Connolly in the third quarter of 2010.
Tyler Foote, a spokesperson for Murphy’s campaign, said that Maggi’s cash on hand isn’t as impressive when one breaks down the numbers.
“What Larry Maggi doesn’t want the voters to know is how he personally loaned himself $126,000 and has been holding onto $65 grand from his last failed congressional race a decade ago when he placed an embarrassing third in the Democrat primary,” Foote said.
“Larry Maggi also wants to hide the fact that he’s pocketing personal and PAC donations from Nancy Pelosi and her liberal allies who know he will be a rubber stamp for the disastrous Obama agenda of more ‘stimulus spending, higher taxes, massive debt, Obamacare, and schemes like job-killing cap-and-trade that will shut down Southwestern Pennsylvania coal.”
In a press release from his campaign, Maggi attributed the successful fundraising efforts to his ideals as a congressional candidate.
“Let’s slash wasteful spending and balance the budget—not on the backs of seniors and the middle-class,” Maggi said.
“Congressman Tim Murphy voted to force seniors to pay $6,000 more per year in out-of-pocket Medicare expenses just to give tax cuts to millionaires. Those may be the values of his party leaders and the DC special interests, but those are not the values of Southwest Pennsylvania.”
Loading ...
25 Responses
Maggi is an idiot. I wouldn’t waste my vote on him even if it was for dog catcher. Tim Murphy is a wonderful man who supports the middle class. Maggi is just out for big business and to line his pockets with money from Marcellas
And I am reminded why I voted for Evan Feinberg.
Fightinggranny – As a Republican, I can’t possibly understand the spin comment you made on my behalf especially with following up with your 500B comment. Murphy voted to cut Medicare where Obama voted to revamp it (right/wrong or indifferent). I’m not entirely sure you are looking at what the other candidate stands for … but rather picking a specific party. If you haven’t noticed Murphy aggressively pulls cash from unions. Would that constitute something you would want abolished – organized labor? I’d learn the candidates before you align yourself with someone.
Craig, yes I have medicare and after the CUT Obama took, 500B, there is no Medicare. Murphy didn’t vote for this. My dear, you need to educate yourself and try not to spin. I fully expect NO CARE if OBAMACARE is implemented. You can’t scare me; I’ve taken care of myself and my family my entire life, and I continue to do so, including my 90 yr old mother. I want Murphy to CUT EVERYTHING. I want to restore self respect, and value to everyone who earns it.
“Judy” is pushing nasty gossip but here is a fact: Diana Irey is so notoriously awful to her staff that she doesn’t even have a campaign of her own. She arm twisted the party to run her statewide race because she couldn’t recruit anyone to come work for her and she’s been using Larry Maggi’s staff for her commissioners office. What is up with those two always always showering praise on each other everywhere they go, it is downright uncomfortable. Murphy and McCord bring rational experienced governing, Washington county couple Maggi and Irey bring backscratching pay to play and that is a Fact.
Yes, everyone needs to calm down Maggi will Prevail!!!! People see through the front of Tim Murphy! We all see through him! We know how he treats his employees and we know how dishonest Murphy can be!
Everyone needs to calm down and realize that this race will not be close. There is one thing you need to know: Obama at the top of the ticket=Murphy win in this district.
Thanks to the self-serving out of towners like Evan Fienberg and the PACs that spent hundreds of thousands beating up Murphy in the primary for no damn good reason the GOP will have to fight to keep this seat in Republican hands. God help us if Larry Maggi is elected – he is the worst kind of shake ’em down Democrat there is. Like Jack Murtha but 100 times dumber and even more corrupt.
Fightinggranny: I hope you aren’t on medicare, because Mr. Murphy has voted to drastically reduce it’s benefits for seniors.
OH MY, as a Senior I say VOTE for Murphy. We cannot afford any more “spenders” in DC. After Obamacare, there won’t be anything left. Hope you are all prepared for the “Greece of USA”. Small government…do we need 16,000 more IRS agents at what salary? Do youconsider this a REAL job?
By kickbacks do you mean all the extra revenue generating developments around the casino? Do you mean the housing developments, Tanger outlets, and office suite buildings now built there? I’ll take those kickbacks all day for Washington County.
How does commissioner Larry Maggi explain the casino kickbacks to the Gaming Commission? Larry turns a blind eye to what is really going on at the casino in his backyard because he is financially motivated to let the corruption continue.
How much turnover is in Murphy’s campaign? I feel like they have new people every week. Who is this Foote guy now. I heard this guy is a monster to work with and he is supposed to represent my district.
Maggi is for the working class, veterans, senior citizen and for all the individuals of the 18 th district! Maggi for congress! You’ve got my vote!
Gus is right – we need someone who has the courage to raise our taxes. I’m proud to back Larry because he told me – straight up – that he’s going to support an across-the-board tax increase on even the working class.
Larry you have our support 100%!!! Time to get Murphy out for numerous reasons!
To all you uneducated individuals who are working for Murphy…GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT! Making false accusations about Larry Maggi to try to sway voters is WRONG. Murphy’s campaign should be the ones running scared from all Murphys corruptions and unethical issues as a person and a congressman. Notice all the Maggi supporters are not stooping to his level! Maggi is a level headed honest man, his integrity and honesty is of top notch. As a politicians, unfortunately decisions like raising taxes is needed to have an effective running county. I feel Maggi has made tough decisions and always had the county’s best interest at hand. Go ahead Murphy campaign destort information, twist it and try to make things look like Maggi is corrupt. Your wrong and your pathetic.
Time for a change!!! Maggi is the right choice!!!
Murphy would be well served to pay attention to the Judge Pozonsky resignation. He resigns after destroying evidence on criminal cases back from Sheriff Maggi days. This corruption case is only just beginning and Larry Maggi is right at the center of it both as sheriff and commissioner.
If I spent my days looking for another job, my boss would fire me. But like the pig that he is, Larry’s feeding from the public trough to bankroll his campaign. Do the honorable thing and resign.
Something stinks at Cal U where crooked and corrupt Larry Maggi was helping Angelo cook the books. pa taxpayers are out millions of dollars trying to mop up sleazy Larry’s dirty deeds.
I’d say Mr. Maggi has a very good shot 😉
Good thing Evan Feinberg isn’t in the race, Larry would’ve raised double that and this would be a Dem pick up.
I believe when Larry took money and help from DCCC he aligned himself with Pelosi.
I believe the article has some inaccuracies. If you look up the detail, Larry didn’t have 65k left from a campaign a decade ago. That extinguished a prior loan. Is that all the better Murphy’s campaign office could do was align Maggi with Pelosi? All I am seeing is that Larry is anything but that. It looks like it is on in the PA-18th.
Larry and Diana Irey should resign from their Commissioner seats. They are shaking down everyone with contracts in Washington County. Democrats, Independents, and Republicans want full time commissioners not two clowns embarrassing our county!