HARRISBURG — Spending by campaign committees for all four legislative caucuses in Harrisburg hit a 10-year high in the homestretch of this election, with bullish Democrats shelling out more as that party looks to capture the state Senate and, possibly, a government trifecta.
The campaign committees collectively spent $51 million from June 8 to Oct. 19 — the most in that period in the last decade. During the same reporting cycle in 2024, the committees spent $36.5 million; in 2020, they spent $24.2 million; in 2016, just $10.2 million.
House and Senate Democrats’ campaign committees, fueled by cash from labor unions, trial lawyers, and wealthy out-of-state donors from blue states like New York and California, outspent their GOP counterparts by roughly 2-to-1.
The party is trying to expand its 103-100 majority in the state House and flip the state Senate, where Republicans have a 27-23 edge. With control of both the legislative and executive branches, Democrats would have the power to set the state’s policy agenda — from raising the minimum wage to sending more money to mass transit — with few impediments.
Democrats and Republicans in both legislative chambers each have their own committees that raise money for candidates and spend it on their behalf. These committees also accept in-kind contributions such as mailers and golf outings, which are included in Spotlight PA’s analysis.
Not included is spending by the candidates in the 228 legislative races on Tuesday’s ballot. They are only required to file one campaign finance report before Election Day, but many were still unavailable as of Friday.
Lauren Cristella, president of the good-government group Committee of Seventy, told Spotlight PA that the amount of money spent was not surprising, but it “should worry every voter.”
“With control of both chambers of the General Assembly up for grabs by razor-thin margins, the stakes are high and the money is following,” she said in a statement. “But that is exactly why transparency and accountability matter more than ever.”
Committee spending in key districts
State House Democrats’ committee spent $20 million during the period examined. It bought millions in digital and television ads in districts the party hopes to flip, supporting candidates such as Elizabeth Moro in Chester County and Jeff Warren in Northampton County. It also sent some $1.6 million in aid to a conservative Democrat in a deeply red region of the state, Frank Burns of Cambria County.
Its state Senate counterpart spent $12 million. The committee is focused on vulnerable Republican seats, sending money to challengers Eileen Hartnett Albillar in Bucks County, Chris Thomas in Montgomery County, Brian Wrightson in Lackawanna County, and Mark Pinsley in Lehigh County. Vulnerable incumbent James Malone in Lancaster County has also benefited heavily from the committee’s cash.
The Senate Republican Campaign Committee — which took money from nursing home operators, fossil fuel interests, and charter and private school backers — has pushed nearly $10 million into protecting the party’s majority in the upper chamber. Maintaining control there is critical for Republicans to keep a voice in the state’s policy debates.
The committee has spent the most to support incumbent Camera Bartolotta of Washington County, who is facing a competitive race from an independent candidate. Incumbents Frank Farry of Bucks County and Tracy Pennycuick of Montgomery County, as well as challenger Tom Jones of Lancaster County, also received significant support.
The House Republican Campaign Committee spent $8 million, much of it on media buys, polling, and research. It also sent money to the state Republican Committee, which can purchase political ads on behalf of candidates. Exactly which candidates it aided is still not clear due to missing reports.
Incomplete picture
It’s impossible to paint a complete picture of spending on state House and Senate races until after Election Day.
Legislative candidates are only required to file one campaign finance report before Election Day. Those reports were due on Oct. 24, but many were unavailable on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website as of Oct. 30.
That doesn’t necessarily mean those candidates have failed to file them; campaigns are only required to postmark the reports by the day before the deadline, and these hard copies can trickle in for days or weeks and still technically be considered on time.
Spotlight PA’s analysis also doesn’t include independent spending by super PACs or dark money nonprofits, which isn’t fully reported until Election Day or later.
“Late filings, incomplete reports, and gaps in independent expenditure disclosure leave voters in the dark, especially in the final weeks of a campaign when that information matters most,” Cristella said. “Our campaign finance system needs real teeth, including meaningful penalties for those who don't follow the rules.”
Aaron McKean, managing legal counsel for campaign finance at the D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center, said some groups intentionally spend large sums closer to the election because they know they won't need to disclose that spending until after the race is decided.
He said who pays for an ad strengthens voters’ abilities to evaluate the claims made.
“Voters have a right to know who's spending money to influence their vote, and if the systems that we have in place don't actually provide that information, then they're not getting that right vindicated,” McKean said.
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