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School choice PAC gives Williams another $1.6M

School choice PAC gives Williams another $1.6M

A political action committee that advocates for school choice is funding Democrat Anthony Williams’ campaign for governor down to the final days of the race.

Students First PAC gave Williams, a Philadelphia state Senator, a whopping $1.625 million on Friday, according to state campaign finance data. Williams’ campaign has now received more than $4.5 million from two school choice PACs, virtually all of it coming thanks to contributions from three suburban Philadelphia investors. Both PACs advocate public vouchers for private education, among other school choice issues.

The money has made Williams a player in the race, helping to fund more than $5 million worth of advertising in media markets across the state. But on the eve of the four-way Democratic primary, that advertising blitz appears not to have bought Williams the name recognition and positive profile he needed to overtake Dan Onorato, the primary front-runner. Onorato retains leads over Williams of larger than 20 points in public polls, and more than two thirds of likely primary voters say they still don’t know enough about him to form an opinion.

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May 17, 2010 at 10:10 am

--Dan Hirschhorn

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  1. David Diano

    May 17th, 2010

    We need some serious campaign finance reform on contribution limits.

  2. Adam S.

    May 17th, 2010

    Those three Suburban Philadelphia investors could have bought a lot of books/tutors/computers for kids in poor schools with $4.5 Million, if they were actually interested in helping them.

  3. Bruce Bailey

    May 17th, 2010

    David & Adam – Amen. The only thing that makes me happy is that these guys are flushing millions away on this losing race, which means a few million less that they can donate to the Cato Institute.

  4. Nic

    May 17th, 2010

    Do you think this is how our founding fathers thought elections would turn out? Say hello to one of the single issue special interest groups that divide and conquer Harrisburg and Washington. While I am in favor of school choice, this goes to show the problem with the system.

  5. [...] Williams snags another $1.6M from school choice PAC… [...]

  6. leftylucie

    May 17th, 2010

    These guys are “paying up on the come.” If Williams wins, they hope to get a piece of the taxpayer’s pie funding education. Onorato already handed out taxpayer’s pie through the tunnel to nowhere and has gotten paid off for it. The Democratic party needs to stand for the working person and not the big money interests.

  7. Rick

    May 17th, 2010

    This isn’t school choice money. It’s street money to pay some Philly ward leaders for Williams/Specter GOTV and sample ballots.These donors are for Specter but have limits on federal contributions. So, contribute to the state race. Williams and vouchers are irrelevant to them. We’ll see if the ward leaders just take their money or really get voters out in the rain. We’ll know the answer Tuesday night.

  8. wpadem

    May 17th, 2010

    This is not about the senate race, but it will have the effect you said on Philly turnout for Specter. Brady is just taking advantage of the opportunity. If it was all about Philly turnout, the entire state wouldn’t be blanketed with Williams ads.

    That being said, these “investors” aren’t getting much from Williams for their investment.

    He is not highlighting their issue prominently in the ads or the campaign.

    Do have to give Williams this…the ads about Onorato are SPOT ON.

    Williams or Onorato will both be disasters as governor.

  9. michael livingston

    May 17th, 2010

    This sort of undercuts the argument that the school choice people aren’t in it for profit doesn’t it?

  10. Bruce Bailey

    May 17th, 2010

    That is one hell of a lot of street money. Of course, these Main Line guys will probably be delivering it in Gucci bags. That gets pricey, you know.

  11. Brent Wingard

    May 17th, 2010

    Vote for a candidate who’s not bought by big-money special interests. Vote for Jack Wagner in the Democratic primary or Sam Rohrer in the Republican primary. Let’s give Pennsylvania a choice between the better of two goods this fall rather than the lesser of two evils.

  12. Anthricite Alumn

    May 18th, 2010

    Tony W = ego driven waste of money in a man whose house has no mirrors.

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