Who is paying for Pennsylvania campaigns?
THE BIG DEAL about the midterm elections is not just about political power. It’s a whole lot about political money. Nationwide, campaign ad spending has reached $11.21 billion as of this week, according to AdImpact, an advertising data tracking company. That makes this election year the most expensive for ad spending in history, topping the $11.2 billion spent in 2024 — an election that not only had the same blend of House and Senate races but also included the presidency. For Pennsylvanians, 2026 is a different animal. There isn’t the same laser focus on the Keystone State as previous years. There isn’t a national struggle for a swing state’s vote. There isn’t a high-stakes senatorial contest. There isn’t even the pitched battle of 2025 for the state Supreme Court. Yes, there is a governor’s race, but with the focus over who will control the House and Senate — in Washington and Harrisburg — you would be forgiven if it slipped your mind. Many of the biggest races nationally are in places like Texas and Ohio, but that doesn’t mean people have forgotten about Pennsylvania. Out-of-state money rolls into the coffers of incumbents and challengers, something that has ticked up notably in recent years. Candidates such as U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale; U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler; U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters; and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro have taken a considerable amount of outside money. According to a NewsWorks Lab investigation, donations from Pennsylvania have accounted for 21% of Lee’s funds. California edges that out at 28%, followed by New York, Texas and Illinois as major donor sources. Kelly’s individual itemized donations coming from Pennsylvania fell from 73% in 2022 to 24% this year. For Reschenthaler, it went from 59% to 31%. In September, Public Source put Shapiro’s fundraising as closer, with 49% coming from Pennsylvania donors and 51% from other states. The percentages are stark compared to his Republican opponent, Treasurer Stacy Garrity. That may be less because about 8% of her donations are from outside sources and more because her entire $3.15 million haul at that point was less than 10% of Shapiro’s $38.9 million. Those were numbers from just a bit earlier in the campaign. Since Sept. 15, Spotlight PA has identified an uptick in Garrity’s fundraising, to the tune of about $5.4 million — much closer to the $8.4 million Shapiro pulled in over the same period. The issue here is that the motive feels Pennsylvanian, even if all the donors aren’t. Yes, $2 million came from the Pennsylvania Amusement and Music Machine Association and $2 million from Pittsburgh’s John D. Conley, who owns Pinnacle Vending. But there has also been money tied to Pace-O-Matic, a Georgia-based company. This comes as Pennsylvania needs to decide how to handle skill games after the state Supreme Court ruled they are slot machines — and the failure of lawmakers to address the issue. Pennsylvania might not be in the crosshairs of national attention with just days to go before Tuesday’s elections. But when it comes to money, the borders are wide open to campaign contributions.
