Campaign finance reports filed in elections office
WAYNESBURG — Campaign finance reports that were filed by candidates running for Greene County commissioner in the May primary indicate that two of the incumbents spent the most money during their campaigns.
?The reports identify contributions and expenditures for any candidates running in any election. Candidates are required by state law to file campaign finance reports two times before and two times after each primary and general election. The previous reporting period ended on May 2.
The most recent reports, which cover a period of campaign spending from May 3 through June 6, were filed June 16 at the county elections office.
Nine candidates — six Democrats and three Republicans — ran on the primary ballot for three seats on the board of county commissioners. According to the previous and recent reports, incumbent Democrat Pam Snyder spent the most money with a total of $42,149 and received $54,788 in contributions, while incumbent Republican Archie Trader spent $17,168 and received $42,027 in contributions.
Snyder’s total includes contributions of $48,924 and expenditures of $29,501 in the previous report, and an additional $5,864 in contributions and $12,648 in expenditures between May 3 and June 6. Trader reported $40,727 in contributions and $11,684 in expenditures before May 3 and $1,300 in contributions and $5,484 in expenses during the recent reporting period.
The third incumbent, Charles Morris, a Democrat, spent a total of $7,862 of his own money for his campaign, including $2,202 in the recent report. Snyder, Trader and Morris received nominations in the primary, as did Republican candidate Richard Yeager.
According to the two reports, Yeager reportedly spent a total of $2,009 for his campaign and received contributions totaling $3,003. He did not list any additional contributions between May 3 and June 6.
The four candidates will run against each other in the November general election, when three will be elected. Each county commissioner seat is a four-year term and pays an annual salary of $41,777.
The reports also listed the expenses and contributions of four other Democratic candidates who ran in the primary: Gregory Niverth, who reportedly spent $8,829 in the primary and received $8,930 in contributions; Barb Wise, who reportedly spent $2,776 and received $2,225 in contributions; and Blair Zimmerman, who reportedly spent $5,097 on his campaign and received $3,329 in contributions.
Democratic candidate Mark Starostanko and Republican candidate Travis Barkley each filed waivers indicating that they were spending less than $250 on their respective campaigns, according to the elections office. However, the previous report indicated that Barkley did spend $784 on his campaign.
In the Democratic race for county clerk of courts, campaign finance reports indicate that candidate Sherry Wise spent $7,788 and received $290 in contributions, while candidate Robin Ketchem spent $4,815 and received $975 in contributions.
Ketchem won the Democratic nomination in the primary after receiving 3,109 votes to Wise’s 2,534 votes. However, the two candidates will face each other on the November ballot because Wise received 258 Republican write-in votes. A minimum total of 100 write-in votes are required to secure a nomination for a countywide office in Greene County.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, the state Election Code provides for an independent audit of campaign finance reports filed by candidates and their political committees from 3 percent of the districts represented on the ballot for the primary and general elections.