May 13, 2006 By Patty Yauger 6 min read

Campaign spending for candidates seeking their respective party nominations for the 52nd Legislative District seat ranged from nothing to more than $25,000, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation reports filed by those seeking office. Eight Democrats and two Republicans are vying to secure the seat being vacated by state Rep. James E. Shaner who will retire at the end of the year in the Tuesday primary election.

The Democratic candidates include George P. Bozek III, a current Franklin Township supervisor; Deberah Kula, a former magisterial district judge; John H. Lowery III, a Uniontown attorney; Dunbar Township Tax Collector Marigrace Butela; Scottdale businessman Tim Carson; former legislator Harry Young Cochran; Mount Pleasant Mayor Gerald Lucia and Connellsville Mayor Judy Reed.

Republican candidates include Dunbar resident William Earnesty and Fayette County Republican Party chairman Richard Grimaldi.

Those seeking public office are required to file financial reports tied to their campaign by May 5 and include contributors and detail expenditures. A report is also to be filed if no money was received or expended by the candidate.

According to the campaign financial statement submitted by Lucia and the Committee to Elect Gerald Lucia, neither he nor his campaign committee received or spent any money from March 1 to May 1.

The one page document stated that Lucia had a zero cash balance as of the filing date and no outstanding debts or liabilities.

Grimaldi contributed $1,000 to his campaign and expended $2,623.50 to Tru-Copy of Brownsville. The report does not detail what service or items was purchased for the amount.

Grimaldi lists a debt amount of $1,623.50 due to Tru-Copy.

Cochran loaned the Harry Young Cochran – Cochran Campaign Fund $1,075 to operate his campaign and also received a $1,000 contribution from Darrell L. Kadunce of Butler, according to the report filed with the state election bureau. An in-kind contribution from Cochran of $100 was listed for the payment of the campaign filing fee.

The report states that $1,158.25 was spent for signs, cards, balloons and checks in addition to the required $100 filing fee.

Cochran lists a total of $1,075 in unpaid loan debts that are due to him.

The report filed by Earnesty indicates that he spent $100 for the required filing fee and $71.40 to register his Web site and the annual fee associated with the Internet site.

The financial report states that he received $25 for in-kind contributions and $10 in unitemized contributions and receipts.

Bozek’s Committee to Elect George Bozek took in $2,100 in contributions, including $100 donations from A.L. Herman Lumber and Bob Mongell, both of Connellsville, along with $150 from J.D. Enterprize of Pittsburgh and $200 donations from Jericho Domonkos of Smock and Mark Stone of Connellsville.

Bill Rittenhouse of Vanderbilt contributed $500 and Justin Bozek of Smock donated $850 to Bozek’s campaign.

George Bozek loaned the campaign committee $10,750, according to the state election bureau report ending March 27.

The committee spent nearly $1,247.84 in fund-raising activities and nearly $11,400 in newspaper and radio advertisements, mailings and signage.

The committee received a $300 in-kind contribution from White Designs of Vanderbilt for a Web site.

The committee lists unpaid debts totaling $10,750 owed to Bozek.

Carson garnered $1,250 in total contributions from nine individuals including David and Cindy Hower of Dawson; Dennis and Susan Zieger of Scottdale; Donald Snyder of Latrobe; Keith Marne of Mount Pleasant; Leo Bacha of Greensburg; Michael and Lisa Blissman of Greensburg, Mike Zampogna of Lower Burrell, Pat Stefano of Connellsville and Tom Balya of Greensburg.

He also received a $1,000 donation from Scottdale funeral director Robert Ferguson, according to the state election bureau report ending March 27.

Carson’s committee report states that $1,060 was paid to Stefano’s Printing Inc. of Dunbar for large campaign cards and lapel labels and that $1,190 remains in the campaign account.

Kula loaned her People for Deberah Kula committee $11,000 with the committee netting nearly $13,000 in campaign contributions ranging from $25 to $1,000 from 88 separate contributors, according to election financial report for the period ending May 1.

Kula received $2,457 in in-kind contributions including $500 in meals from Doug Corteal of Leisenring on April 19 and $1,000 for meals on April 26.

Run-Baby-Run, a political action committee (PAC) based in Pittsburgh contributed volunteer labor valued at $457.

The PAC supports women candidates running for state office in 2006, according to its Web site.

William Snoddy of Uniontown provided a building for an April 1 event. The value is listed at $500.

Kula’s committee paid out $17,407 for advertising costs. The campaign finance report includes an $800 expenditure for an April 27 dinner provided by the Perryopolis Sons of Italy.

The report shows the committee has $7,387.17 remaining in the fund as of May 1.

Butela expended $3,498.94 in her campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for the purchase of cards, brochures and signs, according to the campaign finance reported submitted to the state election bureau.

She received a total of $1,900 in campaign contributions and $125 for the payment of advertising as an in-kind service.

Although the report shows a negative cash balance of $1,598.94, there is no listing for unpaid debts, according to the report submitted by Butela.

Reed received $1,400 in unitemized contributions and $1,400 from her husband, Dexton Reed, according to the financial report filed with the state election bureau.

Judy Reed spent $4,940.99 for the purchase of handouts, lumber, rebar, fliers and signs for her campaign.

The report shows a negative cash balance of $2,140.99, but there are no debts listed in the campaign statement.

Lowery financed the bulk of his campaign through $22,924.33 in loans to his Friends of John Lowery campaign committee.

The financial report for the committee shows that he received $1,550 in donations from various individuals and $500 from John Garlow, owner Ford Business Machines in Uniontown.

Lowery also donated wood and metal for signage, valued at $250, as an in-kind service to the campaign committee.

According to the report, the committee spent $25,074.33 for radio and newspaper advertisements, the purchase of advertising supplies, food for meetings, a printer, postage and street and telephone listings along with hall rentals.

The committee purchased dinner tickets from several organizations, including the Domestic Violence Women’s Shelter, Curfew Recreation Center, New Salem VFD, Smock Volunteer Fire Co., Star Junction Fish and Game Club, Perryopolis Moose, Fayette Medical Services, Dawson VFD, Grindstone VFD and Trout Unlimited.

The committee also paid a $200 fee for Lowery to speak at a Westmoreland County Democratic Committee event.

The debt owed by the committee include Lowery’s $22,924.33 loan.