Vinny Clausi has spent the most so far of all 11 candidates for Northumberland County commissioner, according to pre-primary financial reports filed with the county board of elections.
Up to this point in the campaign, however, spending overall has been relatively modest, with no candidate for any office hitting the five-figure mark. The campaign financial reports were due Friday.
Clausi, who self-funds all his campaigns, reported spending $8,971, most of which was for signs, bumper stickers and a mailing. Clausi, a Democrat, who is running for re-election, also spent $2,000 on a survey.
Democratic incumbent Frank Sawicki's campaign organization, the Committee to Re-elect Frank Sawicki, reported $1,462 in available funds, including $750 in in-kind contributions. Sawicki filed another report indicating that he himself spent $753 to date.
Friends of Myron Turlis reported receiving contributions totaling $1,809, all coming from the candidate, Kulpmont Mayor Myron Turlis, also a candidate for the Democratic commissioner nomination. The Turlis committee reported expenditures totaling $741 and a cash balance of $1,067.
The fourth Democratic commissioner, Dodie Rippon Lovett, filed a statement indicating her campaign expenses did not exceed $250.
GOP commissioner candidates
Rick Shoch spent the most so far of all seven Republican commissioner candidates. His committee, Citizens for Rick Shoch, reported contributions of $5,915, expenditures totaling $3,548 and a cash balance of $2,366.
Other Republican commissioner candidates reported:
Merle H. Phillips, incumbent - Expenditures totaling $1,180.
Charles P. Horvath - Expenditures totaling $278.
Thomas Aber - Expenditures of $672 and a cash balance of $1,325.
Samuel Schiccatano - His campaign committee, Committee to Elect Schiccatano, reported contributions of $200 and expenditures totaling $843.
Larry Wary - He reported spending $1,389, and his campaign organization, Citizens for Larry Wary, reported its expenses did not exceed $250.
As of 11 a.m. Monday, Tony Curran, had not handed in an expense report.
Jones vs. Wilson
As of the pre-primary expense report filing date, incumbent Magisterial District Judge Hugh Alan Jones outspent his opponent, Kulpmont Police Chief Richard L. Wilson III by a 3-to-1 margin in the race for district judge in the Mount Carmel-Kulpmont-Elysburg area.
Jones reported contributions and expenditures each totaled $6,496. The bulk of the contributions, in the amount of $5,821, came from Jones himself.
The Committee to Elect Rick Wilson reported contributions of $3,124 and expenses totaling $2,221.
County offices
There are no contested primaries in any of the county row offices on the ballot this year.
Candidates who filed reports as of Monday morning were:
Tony Rosini, running for re-election as district attorney - Expenditures totaling $1,023.
Friends of Tony Phillips, the campaign organization of Tony Phillips, the Republican acting controller who is running for a full term - $1,440 in contributions and $813 in expenditures.
Friends of Kevin Gilroy, the organization of Republican Treasurer Kevin Gilroy - income of $2,600 (personal loan to the committee from Gilroy), and expenditures totaling $1,547.
Sandra Winhofer, Democratic candidate for treasurer - contributions totaling $2,726 (mostly from a campaign fundraiser) and expenses of $228.
Democratic Sheriff Chad Reiner's committee, the Committee to Keep Reiner Sheriff, reported $1,370 in funds brought forward, $3,581 in contributions, expenses totaling $200 and a cash balance of $4.751.
Other candidates
The only other reports filed in the elections office for candidates from the Shamokin-Mount Carmel area were from:
Coal Township - Friends of Gerard W. Waugh (candidate for township commissioner) - contributions of 1,125 and expenditures of $306.
Shamokin Area School Board - Ronald McElwee, approximately $700 in expenses, and Charles H. Shuey, $345 in expenses.
Filing statements that their campaign expenses did not exceed $250 were Shamokin Area School Board candidates Brian Persing, Daniel K. Venn, Edward Griffiths, Charles W. Carpenter, Barry Rebuck and Nedra Templar.