Cost of Pennsylvania governor’s race sets new record amid ‘campaign finance arms race’

HARRISBURG — The total cost of the governor’s race in Pennsylvania topped $100 million in this last election cycle, a staggering amount that set a new spending record in the race to snag the state’s highest office.The steep spending puts on full display Pennsylvania’s distinction as having some of the most lax campaign finance laws in the country — ones that place no limits on how much money candidates can accept from deep-pocketed donors.

That total does not include another $12.5 million in “in-kind contributions,” spending on behalf of the candidates by third parties who pay for things like campaign mailings or catering for events. That escalating cost is what campaign finance reform expert Ian Vandewalker calls “a campaign finance arms race.”

State Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County, who won the Republican primary but lost to Shapiro in last month’s general election, raised much less money than Shapiro. But he still received $1 million from Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, supporters of former President Donald Trump and conservative megadonors from Illinois.

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Cost of Pennsylvania governor’s race sets new record amid ‘campaign finance arms race’The $100 million total price tag, more than half of which was spent by Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro, underscores the state’s notoriously weak campaign finance laws. And he’ll raise everyone’s taxes congrats Why did he spend so much? Does he want the office to steal more money? Maybe there is gold under that office building? WHAT A DEAD BEAT! HE LET THE BIG BAD WOLF WALK ALL OVER PENNSYLVANIANS....AND NEVER SAID A WORD. AND NOW HE'S GOVERNOR? WHAT A JOKE!!!!!
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