A Super PAC heavily supported by organized labor has aired the first TV ad of the Philadelphia Mayor's race, a positive spot supporting Democratic hopeful Jim Kenney.
You
can see the ad, produced by the Philadelphia-based Campaign Group, above.
Building
a Better Pa. emerged last year supporting Democratic Congressional candidate
Brendan Boyle, who won a four-way primary in the race to replace U.S. Rep.
Allyson Schwartz in the 13th Congressinal district. Boyle was sworn in in
January, representing the district which includes parts of Montgomery County
and Northeast Philadelphia.
There
are no figures available for what Building a Better Pa. raised or spent in
2015. It's filings show that of the $364,536 it raised in 2014, $237,000 came
from the political committee of the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers Local 98, headed by John Dougherty, one of the most
politically-influential labor leaders in Pennsylvania. Virtually all of that
money was spent on the Boyle primary campaign.
When
Building a Better Pa. ran ads supporting Boyle last spring, Wayne Miller,
president of the Sprinkler Fitters Local 692 issued a statement on behalf of
group, saying it's "an independent coalition of Philadelphia area labor
unions and concerned citizens."
As
an independent expenditure-only committee, Building a Better Pa. can raise and
spend as much as it wants in support of a candidate, but can't coordinate
activities with any candidate or his committee.
City
campaign finance laws limit contributions to candidates to $2,900 from
individuals and $11,500 from political committees and business partnerships.
Since the candidates in this year's mayor's race haven't raised large sums on
their own, it was anticipated that independent expenditure groups which have no
contribution limits would play a major role in the race.
Three
Bala Cynwyd financial executives have donated a total of $250,000
to an independent expenditure committee called American Cities, which will be
supporting State Sen. Anthony Williams in the race.
Asked
for comment, spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said that while the Kenney campaign had
nothing to do with the ad, "Jim has a long history of standing up for
civil rights even when it wasn't popular to do so, and the ad accurately
reflects that as mayor he wouldn't be a business as usual politician."
Building A Better PA's Union Donors
Labor
unions and the amounts they gave to Building A Better PA
Name
|
City
|
Amount
|
Bricklayers & Allied
Craftworkers Local 1 PAC
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
10,000
|
Bricklayers & Allied
Craftworkers Local 1 PAC
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
10,000
|
Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Local 351 PAC
|
Hammonton, NJ
|
5,000
|
Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Local 98 COPE
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
100,000
|
Elevator Constructors
(IUEC) Local 5 PAC
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
1,000
|
Operating Engineers Local
542 PAF
|
Fort Washington, PA
|
5,000
|
Iron Workers Local 401 PAF
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
10,000
|
NJ State Association of
Pipe Trades PAC
|
Winslow, NJ
|
1,000
|
Plumbers Local 690 PAF
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
20,000
|
Steamfitters Local 499 PAC
|
Pittsburgh, PA
|
5,000
|
Plumbers & Pipefitters
Local 322 PAC
|
Winslow, NJ
|
500
|
United Association PEC
|
Annapolis, MD
|
10,000
|
Plumbers Local 690 PAF
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
10,000
|
Sprinkler Fitters Local 692
PAC
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
10,000
|
Steamfitters Local 420 COPE
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
20,000
|
Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Local 98 COPE
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
137,000
|
Bricklayers & Allied
Craftworkers PAC
|
Washington, DC
|
10,000
|
Source: Federal Election Commission
Source: NewsWorks
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