First-time candidate is relying heavily on personal funds in race for Erie County judge

The two candidates for Erie County judge have used thousands of dollars of their own money to boost their campaigns heading into the municipal election on Tuesday, but one of the candidates has contributed more of his personal cash than the other.

Much more.

Following a trend that started in the May 16 primary, Eric Mikovch, the Republican nominee for judge, spent a much larger amount of his personal funds on his campaign than the Democratic nominee, Peter Sala, during the most recent campaign finance reporting period, from June 6 to Oct. 23.

Mikovich, a political newcomer, contributed $68,000 of his own money during that reporting period, plus he paid for $9,226 in campaign expenses, bringing his total contribution during that period to $77,226, according to the latest campaign finance report, filed on Oct. 27.

Mikovch's total personal contributions to his campaign since Jan. 1 total nearly $188,000.

During the most recent reporting period, Sala, who is running for judge a second time, contributed $10,000 of his own money, according to the campaign finance report. He did not pay for campaign expenses from June 6 to Oct. 23.

The $10,000 contribution represents the most Sala has personally contributed to his campaign since Jan. 1. He also personally paid for $5,255 in campaign expenses in the primary, putting his total personal contribution at $15,255 since Jan. 1, according to the campaign finance reports.

Mikovich has contributed more than 10 times of that amount to his campaign.

Since Jan. 1, Mikovch has contributed a total of $187,672, according to the campaign finance records. That amount is made up of the contribution of $68,000, the $99,000 he contributed to his campaign in the primary, the $11,446 in campaign expenses he paid for in the primary and the $9,226 in the most recent expenses he covered, according to the records.

Overall, Mikovch's campaign raised $260,438 between Jan. 1 and Oct. 23, including the $187,672 that Mikovch himself contributed — an amount that represents 72% of the total contributions. During the most recent reporting period, from June 6 to Oct. 23, Mikovch's campaign raised $91,682, including the $77,226 from Mikovch himself — an amount that represents 84% of the total contributions during that reporting period.

Mikovch's campaign lists his contributions as unpaid debts or obligations, meaning the campaign considers the contributions loans that the campaign could eventually pay back to Mikovch.

For Sala, his campaign raised $97,081 between Jan. 1 and Oct. 23, including the $15,255 that he himself contributed — an amount that represents about 16% of the total contributions. During the most recent reporting period, from June 6 to Oct. 23, Sala's campaign raised $43,457, including the $10,000 from Sala himself — an amount that represents 23% of the total contributions during that reporting period.

Sala's campaign lists his giving to the campaign as contributions rather than unpaid debts and obligations.

Mikovch's campaign has also outspent Sala's.

From Jan. 1 to Oct. 23, Mikovch's campaign spent $252,291, including $130,452 between June 6 and Oct. 23, leaving a cash balance of $8,147.

From Jan. 1 to Oct. 23, Sala's campaign spent $94,677, including $45,396 between June 6 and Oct. 23, leaving a cash balance of $2,952.

Both campaigns were expected to raise and spend notable amounts of money between Oct. 23 and the election on Tuesday. The next campaign finance report is due Dec. 7.

Sala, Mikovch vie for one open seat on local bench

Mikovch and Sala, both 54, are running to fill the seat on the nine-member Erie County Court of Common Pleas that opened with the retirement of Judge Stephanie Domitrovich in May 2022.

The winner of the $212,495-a-year job will join the local bench for an initial 10-year term and will be eligible for retention up until he turns 75, the mandatory retirement age for judges in Pennsylvania.

Sala, an Erie resident, is a sole practitioner in Erie and the longtime solicitor of the Erie County Sheriff's Office. He is a registered Democrat who cross-filed on the Democratic and GOP ballots in the May primary and won the Democratic nomination. Cross-filing is allowed in races for Common Pleas Court judges in Pennsylvania.

Mikovch, of Elk Creek Township, is a partner with the Quinn Law Firm in Erie. He is a registered Republican who cross-filed in the May primary and won the GOP nomination.

The final vote totals for the primary show Sala won the Democratic nomination with 15,254 votes to 6,028 votes for candidate Leigh Ann Orton, a registered Republican who cross-filed, and 2,959 votes for Mikovch.

In the primary race for the Republican nomination, Mikovch led with 5,642 votes. Orton came in second with 5,540 votes and Sala finished with 5,409 votes. Sala came within 233 votes of locking up the GOP nomination along with the Democratic nod.

Mikovch says he invested in campaign to show commitment

Sala unsuccessfully ran for Erie County judge in 2019. Mikovch is a first-time candidate for the post.

Mikovch said his status as a newcomer required him to spend his own money to create name recognition. He said he also wanted to show his supporters that he was fully committed to his campaign and "betting on myself" to win.

"It shows that I believe in myself, and it was necessary," Mikovch said of his personal campaign spending. "If you don't believe in yourself, who is going to believe in you?"

"I felt it was my responsibility to invest in my campaign," he also said.

In the most recent reporting period, Mikovch's campaign received a number of contributions from lawyers and other county residents.

The campaign reported that it received a total of $3,275 in contributions from donations in the range of $50.01 to $250. It reported another $78,925 in contributions from donations of more than $250, including the $68,000 that Mikovch contributed to the campaign in the reporting period of June 6 and Oct. 23.

The campaign received a contribution from two political action committees during the most recent reporting period: the Erie County Motor Vehicle Committee for Good Government, which gave $500, and $250 from the Waterford-based PA Commonwealth PAC, which also contributed to the campaigns of Republican nominees in other races in Erie County in 2023.

Mikovch's campaign during the most recent reporting period also received $1,000 each from the campaign committees for two of the best-known Republicans in Erie County: U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, of Butler, whose 16th Congressional District includes Erie County; and state Sen. Dan Laughlin, of Millcreek Township, whose 49th Senatorial District includes nearly all of Erie County.

Asked about the contributions from Kelly and Laughlin, Mikovch said he suspected "they came in as I am the Republican nominee for Erie County judge."

Sala says his campaign finances reflect 'grass roots' effort

Sala said his personal financial contribution to his campaign represented what he could afford, and also showed his commitment to his cause.

He said he is proud that smaller contributions from lawyers and other community members funded his campaign. He described his campaign as a "grass roots" effort.

"We got a lot of donations from regular people, and regular people give what they can," Sala said.

The campaign reported that it received a total of $9,200 in contributions from donations in the range of $50.01 to $250 during the reporting period of June 6 to Oct. 23. It reported another $31,450 in contributions from donations of more than $250, including the $10,000 that Sala contributed to his campaign during that period.

The campaign received a contribution from one political action committee during the most recent reporting period: the Philadelphia-based Greater PA Carpenters PAC, which gave $500, and the Erie-based Friends of Teamsters 397, which gave $500.

Eric Mikovch's campaign finances at a glance

• The campaign committee for GOP nominee Eric Mikovch's raised the most in the Erie County judicial race between the beginning of the year and Oct. 23. Mikovch also contributed the most to his campaign.

• The campaign raised $260,438, including $91,682 during the most recent reporting period of June 6 to Oct. 23.

• Mikovch contributed $187,672. The amount is made up of $167,000 that Mikovch contributed, plus $20,672 in campaign expenses he covered.

• The campaign spent $252,291, including $130,452 between June 6 and Oct. 23, leaving a cash balance of $8,147.

• Among the major expenditures between June 6 and Oct. 23: $36,150 to Lamar Advertising, for billboards; $16,966 to Lilly Broadcasting, which owns WICU-TV and WSEE-TV, for TV advertising; and $39,988 for digital advertising to ColdSpark, a Pittsburgh-based political consulting firm. ColdSpark also advised the campaign of fellow Republican Brenton Davis when he was elected Erie County executive in 2021.

Peter Sala's campaign finances at a glance

• The campaign committee for Democratic judicial nominee Peter Sala raised $97,081 between Jan. 1 and Oct. 23, including $43,457 during the most recent reporting period of June 6 to Oct. 23.

• Sala contributed $15,255. That amount is made up of $10,000 that Sala contributed and $5,255 in campaign expenses that Sala covered.

• The campaign spent $94,677, including $45,396 between June 6 and Oct. 23, leaving a cash balance of $2,952.

• Among the major expenditures between June 6 and Oct. 23: A total of $11,616 to WICU-TV and WSEE-TV, both owned by Lilly Broadcasting, for advertising; $10,576 to Printing Concepts, for advertising; and $9,636 to DeSantis Signs, for yard signs.

More on the election: Erie County voters' guide to the races, candidates and issues in the 2023 municipal election

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Candidate's use of own money hits 6 figures in Erie County judge race