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Candidates for district judge amass five-figure campaigns
Staff writer
Candidates for two open district judgeships have amassed five-figure campaign war chests for the May 19 primary, according to reports filed with the Washington County elections office.
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Assistant District Attorney Madonna Tatano has received contributions from at least eight union political action committees, including Teamsters, Sheet Metal Workers, Steamfitters and Plumbers, totaling $2,250. Tatano is footing the bill for $9,100 of her campaign expenditures.
The Committee to Elect Harry Stiffler Judge has raised $2,750 and spent $2,280. Stiffler, in a separate filing as a candidate, has spent $6,592 and listed unpaid debts totaling $5,450. His committee's largest single cash contribution - $1,000 - came from his law firm, Goldfarb, Posner, Beck, DeHaven & Drewitz. Stiffler's committee also listed $1,250 in in-kind contributions.
The Committee to Elect Patrick Puskarich has raised $4,173 and spent $2,767. The Joseph Francis committee and Frank P. Yuvan Jr. were assessed late-filing fees. Francis' campaign reported contributions of $1,370 and $1,667 expenditures. Yuvan is funding his own campaign, according to Spahr, and he has spent $548. Cynthia Ream Phillips has raised $800 and spent $728.
One candidate, Georgianna Farkas, filed an affidavit stating that she intends to spend less than $250 on her campaign. Robert Redlinger's campaign committee had not filed a spending report at the elections office as of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The reports were due Friday. All but Farkas, who will appear only the Democratic ballot, have cross-filed.
The other five-figure spender is Donegal Township Police Chief Ethan Ward, a candidate in the Claysville area district judge race. Ward has spent $11,068 of his own money in a three-way race. His only other contributor is Randy Shook of Claysville, who is paying $357 for 13 weeks to advertise Ward's candidacy in a local publication. Ward listed Shook's advertising as an "in-kind" contribution.
Stephanie Gallagher's district judge committee has raised $1,410 and listed in-kind contributions from Diane Adams for graphic design, fliers, pens, a Web site, buttons, signs and balloons worth $1,483.
The Committee to Elect David J. Talpas has raised $2,821 and spent all but $72. His wife, Vicky Talpas, has loaned the committee $1,070 for a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and supplies. The committee listed $66 worth of seeds as a publicity expenditure.
In the Bentleyville-area district judge race, incumbent Curtis L. Thompson of Scenery Hill has spent $6,093. His report lists no contributors - not even the candidate himself - but Washington County Elections Director Larry Spahr said Thompson told him he is paying for his own campaign.
Thompson's challenger, John M. Petrisek of Ellsworth, is footing the bill for his own campaign, spending $2,006 and holding a cash balance of $1,743.
In countywide races, Demo-cratic jury commissioner challenger Sandra Hart Pettit has raised $7,395 and spent $4,277. She also listed in-kind contributions of $4,687, the bulk of which were purses for an auction.
The committee of incumbent Democratic Jury Commissioner Judith Fisher raised $500 and reported spending $394. Fisher began her campaign with a negative balance of $23,975 and ends the reporting period with a negative balance of $23,081.
In the Republican jury commissioner's race, incumbent G. Richard Zimmerman filed an affidavit that he intends to spend less than $250 on his campaign.
His opponent, David White, reported $274 of unpaid debts and obligations but said he has accepted in-kind contributions of signs worth $340.
In the county controller's race, incumbent Democrat Michael Namie's political committee had spent $6,141 on the race and had a balance of $4,917 available. Challenger Darla Watson filed a form Wednesday listing $798 in expenditures for a petition-filing fee, signs and cards. She had not paid a $40 late filing fee as of Wednesday afternoon.
Madonna Tatano : 5/15/2009
Unlike the current Washington County DA, Madonna Tatano is actually familiar with the inside of a courtroom. And, yet, Toprani was quoted elsewhere (i.e., Knotts' rag) as calling her an embarassment. I wish her luck...and look forward to voting Toprani out in a few years.
Fisher's Expenses? : 5/15/2009
I recently received a mailing from Judith Fisher (with some other state Judicial Candidates names on it... none of whom I will vote for now!) and I would like to know how she sent out a bulk mailing for $394? I work in the printing business and that would be next to impossible. Shouldn't she have shown this mailing on her expense report? Perhaps we all need to call the Election Office and file a complaint!
