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Pre-Election Financial Report Released

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Incumbents held leads in multiple races when it came to campaign contributions, according to the latest financial reports, released Thursday.

The deadline for pre-general election fund reporting passed Thursday, with State Representative Debbie Phillips (D-Albany) and County Auditor Jill Thompson (R-The Plains) raising more than their challengers.

The finance reports show total monetary spending and receiving for candidates, and itemized lists of contributors to the campaigns.

Phillips’ total contributions were $68,894, according to numbers filed with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. Total expenditures by the “Friends of Debbie Phillips” committee were $57,205.

The largest donations given to Phillips’ committee was from the Fund for Children and Public Education, who paid $7,155 in September and $5,000 in August.

Another $5,000 was received from the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Political Action Committee.

Other donations of $2,000 or more were given to Phillips from the United Mine Workers of America Coal Miners Political Action Committee, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Appalachian Community Action Political Action Committee and the Ohio Nurses Association.

Challenger Yolan Dennis (R-Watertown) had total contributions of $31,384, according to the Secretary of State filings, with no total expenditures reported.

Many of Dennis’ larger contributions came from individuals, but Gas and Coal employees and companies are well-represented in her contribution list.

A total of $20,000 was give to the Dennis campaign by Jerry James and Eugene Huck, representing Artec Oil & Gas, according to the filings. William Huck, of Midland, Texas, donated $2,500 and cited oil and gas drilling as his profession.

Representatives from the Ohio Gas Association and several coal company and farming employees were included in the list of contributors to the Dennis Campaign.

Athens County Auditor Jill Thompson, reported total monetary contributions of $20,875 and total expenditures of $31,675.

Thompson (R-The Plains) received large contributions from committees, including the Steve Kane for Sheriff Committee which contributed $1,100, the Steve Stivers for Congress Committee which donated $1,000 and individuals including Eugene R. Edwards, who donated $1,200 and Demetrios Prokos who donated $1,000 as well.

Challenger Kathy Hecht (D-Athens) had total contributions of $19,333 and total expenditures of $11,925. Top contributors included a $1,500 from 8 North College, LLC., $1,200 from Hecate Energy, LLC., of Nashville, Tennessee, and a $928 from Harold Clay Thompson for Coroner.

Hecht also received contributions from the “Friends of Lou Gentile” political action committee, the “Friends of Debbie Phillips” political action committee, and Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn.

In the contested race for Athens County Common Pleas Court, Herman Carson (D-Millfield) pulled in $8,850 in total contributions with $7,462 in total expenditures.

Carson himself was the largest contributor to his campaign, donating four times for a total of $7,000. Eight other individuals donated to Carson’s campaign, including current Common Pleas Judge L. Alan Goldsberry, who donated a total of $200.

But Judge George McCarthy (R-Athens) — who is the incumbent in the contested seat — saw $6,333 in contributions and had $6,450 in total expenditures.

The largest contribution to McCarthy’s campaign was $1,515, donated by the Athens County Judicial Candidate Fund. McCarthy received five $500 donations from individuals and 14 contributions of less than $500, many from local attorneys, such as Gerald Mollica, Steven Sloan and Andrew Mollica, with whom McCarthy shared a law firm.

In the U.S. Congressional races, incumbent Steve Stivers is leading his opponent in contributions with $2,621,883. The campaign’s operating expenditures were $1,185,478, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Stivers received a total of $1,476,412 in contributions from political action committees, and $715,661 from individuals, according to the filings.

He received $5,000 from committees including the Engineers Political Education Committee/International Union of Operating Engineers, the Comerica Incorporate Political Action Committee and the Laborers’ International Union of North America. He also received $2,000 from the Small Business Investor Alliance Political Action Committee and the Comcast Corporation Political Action Committee.

Challenger Scott Wharton reported a total of $68,290 in contributions and $75,347 in expenditures. $17,505 of the contributions were from political action committees and $29,616 came from individuals.

The biggest contribution to Wharton’s campaign was a $2,000 donation from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Political Action Committee.

In the 6th District congressional race, incumbent Bill Johnson reported a contribution total of $2,101,042 for the election cycle to-date and total expenditures of $1,789,374. $857,133 of the contributions came from individuals while $1,152,944 came from political action committees.

Contributions of $2,000 or more came from the American Medical Association Political Action Committee, the American Hospital Association Political Action Committee, the Ford Motor Company Civic Action Fund and the Alliance Coal, LLC, Political Action Committee.

Opponent Jennifer Garrison reported total contributions of $513,518 and total expenditures of $836,940 in her latest filings. $181,066 of the contributions came from individuals, and $267,888 came from political action committees.

Some of the largest donations in Garrison’s campaign were a $5,000 donation from the International Association of Firefighters and a $2,000 contribution from the National Education Fund for Children and Public Education.

No filing records were available through the federal database for Green Party Candidate Dennis Lambert, a candidate in the 6th District congressional race.

The Athens County Democratic Executive Committee received $7,590 in total contributions and had $14,025 in total expenditures.

The Athens County Republican Party reported total monetary contributions of $8,591 and total expenditures of $8,132, while the Athens County Democratic Executive Committee reported total contributions of $7,590 and total expenditures of $14,025.