Pennsylvania’ s GOP gubernatorial primary campaign tops $20M

HARRISBURG » Spending in Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial primary campaign passed $20 million, as the candidates headed into the final two weeks of the race with a little over $4 million in the bank, according to reports filed this week with the state elections office.

The reports show Scott Wagner spent $5 million in April, the most of the three Republican candidates who will appear on Tuesday’s primary ballot. Total spending by Wagner and the other two Republican candidates, Paul Mango and Laura Ellsworth, topped $7 million in April, most of it for TV ads.

The trio is vying for the nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s bid for a second term in the November election. Wolf is uncontested in Tuesday’s primary election.

Wagner, a state senator from York County, has made millions in the wastehauling industry and is the state GOP’s endorsed candidate. Mango is a former health care systems consultant and Ellsworth is a longtime commercial litigation attorneys. Both Mango and Ellsworth are first-time candidates from suburban Pittsburgh.

Wagner headed into May with $2.2 million in the bank, more than Mango’s $1.6 million and Ellsworth’s $410,000. Wolf spent $1.5 million in April, as his campaign began airing TV ads, and he reported $14 million in the bank heading into May.

Spending in the campaign has yet to approach Pennsylvania’s record for a primary. In 2014, four Democratic primary candidates reported spending a combined $36 million, including almost $15 million by Wolf.

Wagner and Mango were again their biggest contributors in April.

Wagner’s donations to himself in the month topped $360,000 when including his in-kind contributions such as for air travel and advertising. Wagner’s total spending since he began running last year has exceeded $12 million, including more than $1.5 million in his own in-kind contributions.