Oct 30, 2004 By Paul Sunyak 2 min read

The five candidates for a $66,203-a-year job as state representative in the 51st District had raised between $2,180 and $85,195 in the effort to secure that seat, according to the final round of pre-election campaign finance reports. Independent candidate Gary Gearing had the biggest war chest, amassing $85,195 that included $66,270 worth of loans from himself and $16,000 in contributions from the Hardy-Magerko PAC. He also had 13 contributors of between $100 and $250, including Mark and Patti Altman, Ira B. Coldren, Christopher and Nancy Decker, Wolford and Lenore Swimmer, and James A. Ulmer.

Gearing also got a $500 contribution from Gerald and Carolyn Blaney.

At the other end of the fundraising spectrum, Republican candidate Harry E. Albert III got only $1,456 worth of contributions but spent $2,180, including $1,041 of his own money. Albert had only five total contributors: $100 each from the Fayette County Republican Party and Connie Herring, $256 from Gary Altman, and $500 each from Mark Altman and D. Grant Peacock.

Incumbent state Rep. Larry Roberts (D-South Union) was not far behind Gearing with $77,260 amassed for his campaign. Roberts began the reporting cycle with $58,560, by far the largest amount of any candidate, and raised another $15,255 through 39 contributions from political committees, including $5,250 from the Hardy-Magerko PAC.

Roberts reported raising $2,900 from 18 other contributors, in amounts between $100 and $500. His backers in that range included Dr. William Mitchell, Joseph P. Tassone, Pechin Shopping Village, Thomas M. Dolfi Funeral Home, James Filiaggi, Fred and Rhonda Zeigler, and Edward C. McKee.

Independent candidate Timothy S. Mahoney started with $279 and raised $20,425 in contributions during the reporting period, leaving him with a $23,450 war chest. He listed $15,457 worth of unpaid debt, including $13,932 of his personal spending.

Mahoney raised only $500 from a single political action committee, the Michael Baker PAC.

He had 19 other contributions of more than $250, including support in the $500 to $1,000 range from Chris Kafalas, Terry McMillen, Samuel J. Davis, James T. Davis, John Over Jr., Art Boyle Jr., Fred Zeigler and James Filiaggi.

Mahoney also raised $5,150 from 24 contributors in the $50 to $250 range, including support from George Franks, Bruce Triplett, Lawrence Filiaggi, Robert Schiffbauer, S. Kent Rockwell, William Piper, Arthur J. Boyle, Mark Morrison, William Sheperd and Frank Carolla.

Independent candidate Terry Janosek started the reporting period with $25,000 from himself, spent $377 and ended with $24,623, the same amount he listed as unpaid debt. Janosek received no contributions from anyone other than himself, as he is purposely running a self-financed campaign.