Wolf holds cash edge with 7 weeks left
HARRISBURG – Democrat Tom Wolf headed into the final seven weeks of Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race with a more than $1.5 million cash advantage over Republican incumbent Tom Corbett, according to figures the campaigns disclosed Sunday to the Associated Press.
The figures were disclosed a day before Wolf and Corbett appear together at the first of three planned debates.
The results of the campaigns’ fundraising and spending mean that Corbett raised less than Wolf but spent more while failing to crack a hefty lead in independent polls that Wolf has held since he won a four-way Democratic Party primary election in May.
TV ads typically are a campaign’s biggest expense. Corbett began airing post-primary TV ads July 8, while Wolf began July 26.
For the three-month reporting period that ended Sept. 15, Wolf’s campaign said it raised about $9.6 million and spent more than $6.2 million, leaving it with almost $6.5 million in cash. Corbett’s campaign said it raised and spent just over $8 million in the period, leaving it with almost $4.8 million in cash.
Full reports for the period, including details on contributors, are due to the state elections bureau no later than Tuesday. The election is Nov. 4.
Counting 2013 and 2014, total campaign spending in the Pennsylvania governor’s race has surpassed $60 million, including by the three candidates Wolf beat in the primary.
The new figures bring Corbett’s total to nearly $25 million raised and nearly $20 million spent. Wolf has reported raising nearly $28 million, including at least $11 million from himself and his family, and spending just over $21 million.
Wolf also received more than $1.6 million from labor unions and more than $1 million from M. Thomas Grumbacher, chairman of The Bon-Ton Stores department store chain.
Corbett reported receiving $1.8 million from the Republican Governors Association, a fundraising arm that is headed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and the RGA said earlier this month that it gave Corbett’s campaign an additional $3.5 million.