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The Lead
Shapiro emerges from primary season with strong fundraising advantage over Mastriano
Attorney General and 2022 Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Josh Shapiro at a press conference outside Harrisburg on March 24, 2022. (Capital-Star photo by Stephen Caruso)
Heading into the November election campaign, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro had $13.4 million on hand while his Republican opponent had just under $400,000, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Department of State.
The reports, which were due last Thursday, reflect the candidates’ receipts and spending from May 3 to June 6, which includes the final weeks of the primary campaign.
Republican nominee Doug Mastriano, of Franklin County, who ran a grassroots campaign in a crowded Republican field, added only $162,092 to his campaign coffers with more than one-third in donations of less than $250 from individuals.
Mastriano, a state senator, spent $557,000 including $294,000 on advertising and $29,000 on text messaging.
Two of Mastriano’s donors made five-figure contributions: Benjamin Beiler, of Millerstown, gave $10,000 and Heller Capital Group, a Lancaster private equity firm headed by Daryl Heller, gave $15,000.
Shapiro, the two-term elected attorney general from Montgomery County, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, nonetheless spent $7 million. That included $4.4 million on advertising and $900,000 in donations to Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Austin Davis, and more than $600,000 to the state Democratic party.
Shapiro collected nearly $4.7 million in donations, mainly from larger donors who contributed at least $250.
Major individual donors included pediatric oncologist Jennifer Duda of Menlo Park, California, who gave $500,000; video game developer Unity Technologies CEO John Riccitetto of San Francisco, who gave $200,000; pediatric clinic director Lisa Mennet of Seattle, who gave $100,000; and Yakir Gola, founder of the online food and drink delivery service goPuff, who gave $55,000.
Shapiro also reported large contributions from the Democratic Governors Association, which gave $500,000; the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association PAC, which gave $100,000 and the United Food and Commercial Workers PAC, which gave $160,000
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