Oct 26, 2015 5 min read

As the fall campaign heads into the homestretch, spending in the Washington County commissioners race is on pace to top a quarter of a million dollars for a job that will pay in the neighborhood of $85,000, according to reports filed with the elections office.

The Republicans – one incumbent and one newcomer – lead the field in total contributions and expenditures thus far.

Mike McCormick of Peters Township, who hopes to unseat one of the incumbents, has raised $94,560 in the cycle that began in June, including a $35,000 loan to his political committee earlier this month. McCormick has spent $91,541, the largest chunk of which was $50,000 to the Washington County Republican Party for campaign promotion.

McCormick’s campaign spending is larger, to date, than that of his two Democratic opponents combined, and over the weekend, a mailer targeted incumbent Democrat Harlan Shober, who is seeking a second, four-year term on the county commission.

McCormick’s four largest donors are Fred Baker of Bethel Park, $8,000; Blackstone PAC of Washington, $6,500; and Wade Baker of Bethel Park and Christopher Coniff of Charlotte, N.C., who each gave $5,000.

Commission Vice Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan, in office since 1996, raised $85,473 through Oct. 19 and spent $78,067. Her committee’s report reflects no debts, and her largest single expenditure was $32,000 for a general-election mailer. Other expenditures were $3,740 for radio advertisements through the BrabenderCox firm of Pittsburgh, $4,026 paid to Harper Polling LLC of Harrisburg at the end of September and $2,071 to the Peters Township Republican Party.

Irey Vaughan has been the lone Republican on the three-member board since 2000, but McCormick said he’s hoping to restore a GOP majority this year.

The Democratic incumbents, who are running as a slate, are economizing by splitting their bills for direct mail that has blanketed the households in the county.

Commission Chairman Larry Maggi’s candidacy reported spending $35,413, while his running mate Shober’s committee reported spending the least of the foursome: $33,140. Democrats typically pay nominal amounts to a host of people to work the polls on Election Day, and both Maggi and Shober have hefty cash reserves that could potentially fund this get-out-the-vote effort. Maggi, a former state trooper and sheriff, was the top vote-getter in each of his three runs for a seat on the commission. Voters have an opportunity to vote for two candidates, and the three candidates with the most votes win seats.

Maggi’s committee reported raising $4,384 from political committees, including steamfitters, boilermakers, laborers and Union Local 66 PAC Club, Pittsburgh. His single largest contributor is Deem Guys of Latrobe, giving $1,750. An identical amount was contributed by Deem Guys to Irey Vaughan and Shober, who began the election cycle with $52,519 but also had $18,625 in debts that date to Jan. 1, 2013. Shober had an in-kind contribution of $5,282 from Piatt family members, Millcraft Hospitality, for use of the Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe, for a fundraiser last month that featured hors d’oeuvres and other food. Shober’s committee also reported a $2,500 contribution from Peter R. Cameron, president of Ameron Beverage Distribution LLC of Washington.

In other county races, Republican incumbent District Attorney Gene Vittone is outspending his Democratic opponent, Peter Marcoline III.

Vittone’s campaign committee brought a balance of $53,348 from the primary, in which he was unopposed, raised $21,310 and spent $57,134. The committee listed a total of $45,000 in loans from Gene Vittone I of Carol Drive, Peters Township, that date to his son’s 2011 campaign and $9,500 in loans from the candidate. If Vittone is successful in his re-election bid, he will be the first Republican district attorney in Washington County to serve two consecutive terms since Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

A political action committee known as Citizens for Prosperity in America Today of Alexandria, Va., contributed $1,000 to Vittone’s campaign and $2,000 to McCormick’s.

Marcoline began the most recent cycle with $7,649 post-primary. He, like Vittone, was unopposed within his party. The Democrat has raised $39,192 and spent $28,465. Marcoline’s unpaid debts and obligations total $1,250. His biggest single donor is Armand Dellovade of Canonsburg, who contributed a total of $10,000. Marcoline also amassed $7,866 through in-kind contributions from Bella Serra restaurant, Cecil Township; Joe Pintola, owner of Julian’s Catering, and Frank P. Koupiaris, who supplied cigars and a wine bar at a fundraiser. Marcoline is paying $3,215 for robo-calls from Voice Broadcasting Corp. of Arlington, Texas, and he purchased television time on which to air commercials that have cost $1,550 through Jump Start Video Productions of Akron, Ohio.

In the Washington County treasurer’s race, longtime incumbent Democrat Francis King loaned $5,265 to his campaign committee. He spent $2,302 for signs and other promotions of his candidacy.

His challenger, David A. Borodaty, brought $1,808 forward from the May primary, raised $4,150 and spent $4,977. He listed unpaid debts and obligations of $3,500. Neither candidate received contributions from political committees. Borodaty’s largest expense was $3,126 paid to BuildASign.com of Austin, Texas, for yard signs and frames and $157 to purchase a table saw and stand from Lowe’s, also for the yard signs.

In the Washington County’s prothonotary’s race, which has an open seat because of the retirement of Phyllis Ranko Matheny, Democrat Joy Schury Ranko brought forward $12,441 from the May primary and raised just $100 for the general election. She has spent $858 to promote her candidacy and listed total unpaid debts of $13,199. Ranko’s Republican opponent, David D. Tennent III of Venetia, filed a statement that he has not raised or spent money on a campaign. The prothonotary is the filing and record-keeping office for civil litigation.

Two Washington County judges asking the voters to retain them for additional 10-year terms have spent nominal amounts. Diane DiSalle is footing the bill for her husband’s campaign to the tune of $1,953 for signs and radio ads, while the judge has purchased nail files as giveaways for $438.

President Judge Katherine B. Emery has spent $780 for gift baskets, tickets to fundraisers, a program ad produced by the LeMoyne Multi-Cultural Center and a classified advertisement from Observer Publishing Co.