Panella raises more money than Aaore in Norco judicial race
Large portion of his donors from Philadelphia area
In the campaign for Northampton County judge, Brian Pannella has outraised his opponent, Nancy Aaroe, by a nearly 2-1 margin, according to their campaign finance reports filed Friday.
Panella, 31, a Democrat, and Aaroe, 58, a Republican, are running in the May 16 primary to fill a vacancy for a 10-year term on the county court. Both candidates have cross-filed and will appear on both party ballots.
The campaign finance reports, filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State, cover the period from Jan. 1 to May 1.
The Bipartisan Committee to Elect Brian Panella raised $96,125, including $30,000 in loans from Panella, and spent $91,449, leaving a balance of $4,676. Panella loaned another $3,372 to pay bills for campaign expenses. The committee also reported an outstanding $20,428 bill for campaign mailers.
Another $1,100 came from PACs and campaign committees – United Steelworkers of America PAC ($100), Insulators International PAC, Maryland ($500), and Friends of Kevin Boyle, a state representative from Philadelphia ($500).
Panella raised about $42,000 from individual donors, with slightly more than half – $22,000 – coming from lawyers in the Philadelphia area.
That was a point Aaroe made in an April 17 Facebook post, noting that she held fundraising events in Northampton County while Panella raised campaign funds from Philadelphia.
The Nancy Aaroe for Judge committee raised $49,492, including $29,807 Aaroe loaned to the campaign. The committee received $19,685 in contributions from individuals. PACs did not contribute to her campaign. Her campaign spent $26,752, leaving a balance of $22,740.
Read: Nancy Aaroe, Brian Panella vie for seat on Northampton County Court (substack.com)