Oct 23, 2015 2 min read

HARRISBURG – Political contributions to candidates competing for an unprecedented three open seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court surpassed the $10 million mark heading into the final week, according to campaign finance reports filed Friday.

The fundraising total by far surpasses that of any previous election for the high court; candidates raised about $7 million in 2007.

Philadelphia Judge Kevin Dougherty, a Democrat whose support from organized labor has enabled him to lead the field in fundraising, reported $1.3 million in contributions in the five weeks ending Monday. Overall, he has raised $3.6 million and spent $2.9 million since the beginning of the year.

No information of Dougherty’s individual contributors or expenditures from the latest report was available Friday afternoon.

Fellow Democrat David Wecht, a state Superior Court judge from Pittsburgh, reported about $780,000 in contributions in the most recent period. They included $450,000 from the Committee for a Better Tomorrow, a political action committee operated by the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, and $100,000-plus from the Teamsters union’s political committee and several of its locals. Overall, he has raised $2.9 million and spent $2.1 million.

Contributions through mid-September, including six candidates eliminated in the May primary, totaled $8.2 million. Dougherty’s and Wecht’s latest reports alone pushed the figure to $10.3 million.

Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey, a Republican, reported nearly $250,000 in new contributions, pushing her total to nearly $744,000. She had about $359,000 on hand as of Monday.

Paul Panepinto, a Philadelphia judge and former Republican who is running as an independent, reported $22,500 in contributions and a balance of $154,000.

Some candidates’ reports were still not available late Friday afternoon. They were Democrat Christine Donohue, a Superior Court judge, and two Republican nominees, Superior Court Judge Judy Olson and Adams County Judge Mike George.