Trump’s ambassador to Denmark, Camp Hill resident Carla Sands, loaned her campaign $3 million, while Montgomery County real estate investor Jeff Bartos, could see significant help from a super PAC supporting him.
HARRISBURG — An endorsement by former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania’s hotly contested US Senate race isn’t backing down rival Republicans, with one putting up millions for her campaign and another getting a seven-figure pledge from a donor.
Camp Hill resident Carla Sands, Trump’s ambassador to Denmark, loaned her campaign $3 million, according to her first federal fundraising report due Friday. Sands has significant personal wealth left over from her and her late husband’s California-based real estate investment firm.
Another candidate, Montgomery County real estate investor Jeff Bartos, could see significant help from a super PAC supporting him.
Scott Wagner, the GOP’s gubernatorial nominee in 2018, said Friday that he has pledged $1.5 million to the Bartos-aligned Jobs For Our Future PAC, and could give more in the future to help Bartos.
Trump last month endorsed Sean Parnell, a decorated former Army Ranger who penned a memoir of his service in Afghanistan, which became a New York Times bestseller.
Wagner said he doesn’t know how much weight Trump’s endorsement holds.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s a slam dunk because of an endorsement,” Wagner said.
“Right now, the political winds are shifting pretty quickly.”
On Thursday, a judge refused to seal records and proceedings in the ongoing divorce and custody battle involving Parnell and his wife, or grant Parnell’s request to bar his wife from talking about past restraining orders she had sought against him.
Parnell had made the requests after Bartos and an associated super PAC attacked Parnell over the matter, calling him “unelectable.”
Bartos and his allies aired attack ads in September, days after former Trump endorsed Parnell.
The contest for Pennsylvania’s open US Senate seat could be among the nation’s most competitive next year.
The Democratic field is also crowded. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, reported nearly $4.2 million cash in his campaign account as of Sept. 30.
Politics
Breaking down IVF: What it is and why it’s important in the fight for reproductive rights
In vitro fertilization, or IVF, has been at the forefront of a major reproductive rights battle, but what exactly is it? For many Americans, in...
Fetterman introduces bill to protect affordable internet access for 23 million households
The Affordable Connectivity Program expired on Tuesday due to Republican opposition, putting affordable high-speed internet access at risk for 23...
Democrats advance election bill in Pennsylvania long sought by counties to process ballots faster
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill long sought by counties seeking help to manage huge...
Local News
Look out, Sheetz, Wawa is officially moving into your territory with Central Pa. expansion
The Delaware County-based convenience store chain broke ground on its first Dauphin County location Wednesday in Middletown, with five more stores...
What do you know about Wawa? 7 fun facts about Pennsylvania’s beloved convenience store
Wawa has 60 years of Pennsylvania roots, and today the commonwealth’s largest private company has more than 1,000 locations along the east coast....