The Washington Post

pa2012.com is proud to partner with The Washington Post in bringing our originally reported insider political news to a wide audience of decision makers and opinion leaders across the country.

Close it

send to a friend | print | comment

Johnson’s raised more than $110K for Lt. Gov. race

Johnson’s raised more than $110K for Lt. Gov. race

Republican Steven Johnson raised almost $110,000 in 2009, according to campaign finance data, a solid amount for a Lieutenant Governor candidate staking his campaign on outsider credentials. Since then, Johnson has launched a populist NoMoreInsiders.com Web site, which claims to have already raised $10,000 for the candidate.

The campaign finance numbers emerged with Republican State Committee preparing to meet this weekend in Harrisburg to make a formal endorsement in the race. No one expects Johnson to win the endorsement, but his early fundraising success could allow him to stay in the race longer than other candidates who leave Harrisburg empty-handed. He raised about $10,000 more than political operative Joe Watkins, a favorite of southeast conservatives.

Johnson is clearly looking to whip up anti-establishment fervor, a formidable challenge in a race to which few people pay close attention. His outsider crusade hasn’t stopped him from courting Republican insiders during recent regional caucus straw votes, where he finished sixth among the candidates with only 15 total votes, according to unofficial tallies. And he has only about half the amount of cash-on-hand enjoyed by Watkins. He finished the year with about $27,000, after spending more than $74,000 on Harrisburg-based political consultant Charlie Gerow.

share001btn Johnsons raised more than $110K for Lt. Gov. race

February 8, 2010 at 11:53 am

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: , ,

comments

comments [10] | post a comment

  1. gerowed

    Feb 8th, 2010

    75K on Gerow! For what!???
    What a moron this Johnson is….he has no clue.

    This guy needs to get a clue and learn something before he runs for dog catcher let alone LG.

  2. Anonymous

    Feb 8th, 2010

    So Mr. “Same Old Song and Dance”/”NoMoreInsiders” danced with an insider and only got 15 caucus votes???

    A very good man who once again sends a clear message that he may not be ready to govern.

  3. Anonymous

    Feb 8th, 2010

    I’m not sure I’d be as hard on an outsider as ‘gerowed’ is (above).

    I would reserve my harshest criticism for the ‘professional’ who apparently fleeced the ‘outsider’ and no doubt still considers himself ‘ethical’.

    A Google(tm) search for Charlie Gerow yields a top result of an obviously self-promoting Wikipedia page. Beyond that, however, it’s hard to find anything that would support accusing Johnson of not doing his homework. If he’s truly an outsider, chances are good the people he would know to ask wouldn’t know enough about Gerow to give him the right answers anyway.

    Shame on Gerow for preying on decent people.

  4. Bill Daley

    Feb 8th, 2010

    How much has he raised for Tom Corbett?
    He is running for LG not Gov.

  5. Tommy Tamlonsen

    Feb 8th, 2010

    Now that really proves he’s an outsider!

    Even still, I like the guy’s message. Throw the bums out, and don’t hand out endorsements for political favors.

    Does republican state committee have a 2/3 endorsement threshold like the Dems do? Not a bad rule…

  6. StimulusIsBandAid

    Feb 9th, 2010

    The message I got here is that Steve Johnson is the top of the outsiders, can raise cash, raised more than Watkins and makes a very good showing in the straw vote, which we all know is somewhat corrupt in itself.

    Taking that all into account, I’m more impressed today with Steve Johnson.

  7. Anonymous

    Feb 9th, 2010

    Raising money so that you can pay the bulk of it to an insider who only got you 15 measley votes in a STRAW POLL undercuts his whole message of being an Outsider….

    The Straw Polls that Johnson had a chance to participate in, good bad or indifferent were not good showings at all.

    In fact the further east he got, the lesser his totals. In his Home Caucus, the Central, he came in far behind both Cawley and Watkins. You are one of a few who are impressed with Johnsons showing.

  8. StimulusIsBandAid

    Feb 13th, 2010

    Anonymous – do you have inside information as to what Steve Johnson paid Gerow for?

    You make a strong argument that Straw Poll votes are bought and paid for. Bribery????

    You, obviously, are one of the few that still think the PAGOP isn’t crooked. Wake up, America has!

  9. Anonymous

    Feb 13th, 2010

    To Stimulus BandAid,

    I am simply stating the obvious. Johnson is a hypocrite.

  10. Brett

    Feb 21st, 2010

    Johnson likes to golf too much.

Leave a Reply


- will not be published


pa2012.com blogs