TodayGOP fill war chests for primary
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Article RatingThe Republican nomination for Cumberland County commissioner is turning into an expensive campaign.
Campaign finance reports filed Friday show embattled Commissioner Gary Eichelberger with more than $66,000 left to spend over the final two weeks. Challenger Karen Gunnison raised more than $85,000 and has more than $47,000 to spend.
Eichelberger showed considerable fund-raising prowess despite being denied the endorsement of the Cumberland County Republican Committee in February. Fellow Commissioner Bruce Barclay raised more than $73,000 and reported about $26,000 left to spend.
The Friends of Barclay/Eichelberger Committee split the $52,000 they had raised after the GOP committee endorsed Gunnison and Barclay. In addition, Eichelberger lent his campaign $20,000.
The campaign finance reports cover the Jan. 1-April 30 period. The primary election will be May 15.
Commissioners are being paid about $62,000 this year.
Hefty donations
The Barclay committee recorded considerable donations from PACs and corporate heads. Included are: Financial Businessperson's Association, $1,000; Capozzi and Associates, $1,250; M&T Bank, $500; Home Builder's Association of Metro Harrisburg, $500; McNees Wallace & Nurick, $1,000; Daniel R. Emanuel, president of Drivekore Inc., $500; William R. Unger, president of Cumberland Design & Building, $1,000; Donald H. Mowery, president of R.S. Mowery & Sons, $1,000; Kenneth Tuckey, president of Tuckey Mechanical Services, $1,300; Stephen D. Tiley, Frey & Tiley law firm, $1,000; David LaTorre, LaTorre Communications, $1,000; and Eric R. Clancy, executive vice president of Delta Development Group, $1,000.
Also, J. Michael Brill, president of J. Michael Brill & Associates, $1,000; R. Douglas Firestone, president and CEO of Arcus, $750; Thomas A. French, Stanley A. Smith, Frank J. Leber and Charles J. Ferry, lawyers with Rhoads & Sinon, $1,000 each; Sherill T. Moyer and Dean Dusinberre, lawyers with Rhoads & Sinon, $500 each; Rhoads & Sinon, $3,500; Grane Associates of Pittsburgh, $1,250; Donald L. Carter, owner of Duke's Bar & Grill in New Cumberland, $1,000; and Christopher K. Gleason, CEO of Gleason Financial, $1,000.
Lewis E. Lehrman, a financial entrepreneur and former chief executive officer of Rite-Aid Corp who narrowly lost a bid for governor of New York in 1982, contributed $500.
Small donors
A political newcomer, Gunnison reports dozens of small donors giving between $50-$250. In addition, she took in the following PAC donations: McNees Wallace & Nurick, $1,000; Friends of Sen. Dan White, $500; Power PAC, $1,250; Capital Association, $300; Greenlee Partners State PAC, $500; and Buchanon, Ingersoll Committee for Effective State Government, $1,500.
Her individual donations included: former commissioner Nancy Besch, $500; former Silver Spring supervisor Karen Best, $275; Klare S. Sunderland, CEO of Sun Motor Cars, $500; Donald E. Slike, president of DES Associates, $500; Harold E. Haldeman, president of ADM Marketing, $500; Timothy F. Nicholson of Ocean Ridge, Fl., managing director of Lyric Healthcare, $1,000; Donald E. Failor, owner of D.E. Failor Associates, $500; Rhoads & Sinon, $1,500; Robert J. Tribeck, Lawrence B. Abrams, III and Jack F. Hurley, Jr., lawyers with Rhoads & Sinon, $500 each; and Robert J. Dietz, COO of Gannett Fleming, $1,000.
Also, Frank R. Sourbeer, president of Wilsbach Distributors, $500; John M. Arnold, CEO and chairman of Petroleum Products Corp.: Gerald K. Morrison and John S. Oyler, lawyers with McNees, Wallace & Nurick, $1,000 each; Katherine E. Holtzinger-Conner, commissioner of the state Civil Service Commission, $1,000; Cliff Jones, consultant, $725; Lawrence M. Kluger, president of Central Penn Business Journal, $1,000; G. Martin Eichelberger, president and CEO of Letort Management Trust Company, $500; Linda Ann Goldstein, vice president of CREDC, $275; Stephen H. Davenport, president of Keystone Apple; Stephen D. Tiley, Frey & Tiley law firm, $500; Donald H. Mowery, president of R.S. Mowery & Sons, $1,000; David E. Black, president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, $1,325; Richard M. Miller, executive vice president, Benatec Associates, $500; Nancy Saidis, owner of Nancy C. Saidis & Associates, $700; Robert C. Saidis, lawyer with Saidis, Flower & Lindsay, $700; Dame Management Strategies, $500; John E. Burleson, administrative vice president, M&T Bank, $500; Donald M. Healey, president of The Healey Group, $500; and Martin G. Lane, Jr., chairman of Aegis Insurance, $500.
Gunnison donated $1,500 to her campaign. She also reports a $17,000 donation to state Republican Committee in April 23 that was returned to her committee a week later.
Eichelberger
Eichelberger received $5,000 from the Committee to Elect Frank Rankin. A Carlisle councilman, Rankin unsuccessfully challenged state Rep. Will Gabig, R-199, in the 2006 primary.
In addition, Eichelberger reported the following donations: Pennsylvania Home Builder's Association, $500; Capozzi & Associates, $1,250; Ed Norford, $500; former Mechanicsburg councilman Brian Rider, $1,250; George Hempt, $1,000; South Middleton Supervisor Bryan Gembusia, $500; Rhoads & Sinon, $1,500; Kenneth Tuckey, president of Tuckey Mechanical Services, $625; and Stephen D. Tiley, Frey & Tiley law firm, $500.
The Democrats reported less fund-raising activity. The two announced candidates -- Commissioner Rick Rovegno and Carlisle Councilwoman Linda Cecconello -- are expected to win the two nominations.
Rovegno reported no fund-raising, while Cecconello raised $5,600 and spent $3,000.
Keep the Team
Momentum for a second Barclay/Eichelberger term gained financial support with the formation of the Keep the Team political action committee last month.
The committee reported more than $3,400 in donations -- including $500 apiece from the four men who started the PAC, Lowell R. Gates, Edward R. Norford, Robert C. Gwin and George Hempt.
Additional contributors to Keep the Team include Anthony Lepore, $150, a member of the Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority; former Cumberland County solicitor Horace Johnson, $100; former Carlisle School Board member William Davidson, $200; and former Hampden Township manager Charles Kemberling, $100.
The group spent about half of the money before the Monday reporting deadline.
