The money behind Centre County candidates: $175,000 raised for judge and other races

Halie Kines
·8 min read

More than $175,000 has been donated to candidates running for countywide seats in Happy Valley.

In just the race for judge for the Centre County Court of Common Pleas, the two candidates have raised a combined total of $103,600. Between that race and the races for commissioners and other county row offices, candidates have raised a total of $175,919.

Through campaign finance data provided by the candidates via the Centre County Elections Office, anyone can see how much money has been raised by a candidate, how much an individual or political action committee has donated, and what a candidate has spent the money on. The reports for the judge race were filed online and obtained through the Pennsylvania Department of State.

The Centre Daily Times has combed through hundreds pages of donations and expenditures to understand who is funding local campaigns, including countywide races. We’ve analyzed data in races for Centre County Commissioners, judge for the Centre County Court of Common Pleas and county row offices. Of these races, only the judge race is contested in the primary, with Democrats Julia Rater and Gopal Balachandran appearing on both ballots.

Below is how much each candidate in these races has raised and spent in their respective races, as well as top donors and largest aggregate expenses.

The most recent filing, cycle 2, was due May 5. Candidates are now in a 24-hour reporting period (cycle 10), where they have to report each day if they received any donations, up to and including May 16. This article will not account for those donations, with the exception of the judges race.

The primary election is May 16.

Centre County Court of Common Pleas Judge

Cross-filed candidates Julia Rater and Gopal Balachandran are vying to fill the open spot on the Centre County Court of Common Pleas. The winner of the would be elected to a 10-year term and join Centre County’s three other judges — President Judge Jonathan Grine and judges Katherine Oliver and Brian Marshall.

Information for this race is found through the Pennsylvania Department of State’s campaign finance website. Donations from the 24-hour reporting period are included in the top donors, but are not included in the total amount raised. This is updated as of May 10.

Gopal Balachandran

Friends of Gopal Balachandran has raised $50,908 this cycle and spent $43,999.38; the committee brought forward $10,944.99 from a previous cycle and has a cash balance of $17,853.61.

Largest contributions from political committees:

  • $5,000, IMPACT

  • $730.16, PA United PAC

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $25,000, Gopal Balachandran

  • $6,000, Virginia Brickwedde, of State College. No employer listed.

  • $1,000 each from: Roselee Williams, of Boalsburg, retired. Sara Walsh, of Medford, MA, self-employed fundraiser. Simone Balachandran, of Cincinnati, OH, professor at University of Cincinnati. Srikrishna Ramakarthikeyan, of Flemington, NJ, CEO Executive at Hexaware Technologies. Vishnampet Venkatraman, of Ellicott City, MD, Executive Consultant at Ramans Consulting Group.

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $10,578.61 to MFStrategies for campaign fundraising consulting

  • $5,650 to Nanci Rummel for payroll

  • 5,000 to CPEC LLC for campaign polling

  • $4,500 to Joshua Portney for payroll

  • $2,632 to Effectiv TV for TV ads

Friends of Gopal Balachandran has an unpaid debt of $25,000 to Balachandran for a loan.

Julia Rater

In the 2023 election cycle, Julia for Judge has raised $52,712.02 and spent $36,923.63. At the end of the reporting cycle, the committee had $15,788.39 on hand.

Largest contributions from political committees:

  • $1,000, Centre Leadership Initiative

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $27,050, Julia Cronin Rater

  • $2,500, Joel Myers, of State College. CEO at AccuWeather

  • $1,500, William Fleming, of Boalsburg. Lawyer at Fleming Law Offices

  • $1,000 each from: Ara Kervandjian, of State College, Executive vice president at HFL Corporation. Christopher W. Kunes, of Spring Mills, owner of Christopher Kunes Co. Gary Golaszewski, of Port Matilda, self-employed engineer. John Faust, of State College, retired. John Ikenberry, of State College, president & co-founder of HigherEdJobs. Matthew McClenahen, of State College, lawyer at McClenahen Law Firm. Thomas McGrath, of Port Matilda, retired.

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $8,650 to Zachary Keith Bloom for services

  • $5,250 to Abbey J. Carr for services

  • $4,720 to The Centre County Gazette for print advertising

  • $2,840.80 to Brand Graphic Solutions for printing services

  • $2,820 to Sinclair Broadcasting for TV advertising

Centre County Commissioners

Democrats Amber Concepcion and Mark Higgins, and Republicans Steve Dershem and Marie Librizzi are running for Centre County Commissioner. Voters will pick two candidates from each party to appear on the ballot in November; from there, the top three candidates will win the election.

Amber Concepcion

This cycle Friends of Amber Concepcion has raised $15,465 and spent $360.20, leaving a cash balance of $15,104.

Largest contributions from political committees:

  • $3,000, Local 66 PAC Club

  • $2,500 Greater PA Carpenters PAC

  • $2,000 IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund

  • $1,000 CPBCT PAC

  • $1,000 IBEW Local Union 5 PAC

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $500 Micaela Hayes, of State College. Physician at Geisinger

  • $300, Elliot Vincent-Killian, of State College. Project coordinator at Embrace Software

  • $250, Amber Concepcion, of State College

  • $250, Amy Bader, of State College

  • $250, Evan and Lynn Myers, of State College

The committee has spent $169.28 to pay for a portion of a mailer to the Centre County Democratic Committee, $37.80 at the Weis/U.S. Post Office for stamps, $78.76 to Concepcion for thank you cards and Facebook ads, and $74.36 to ActBlue for charges for online donation platform.

Mark Higgins

This cycle Friends of Mark Higgins has raised $23,655 and spent $5,303.61. Between that and the $899.45 he brought forward from the previous cycle, he has $19,250.84 on hand.

Largest contributions from political committees:

  • $3,000, Plumbers and Pipefitter Local 520 PA

  • $3,000, Western Pennsylvania Laborers PAC

  • $3,000, Operating Engineers Local 166 PAC

  • $2,500, Central Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades

  • $2,500, Greater PA Carpenters PAC

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $1,000, Alex Srhakish, of State College. President of Highland Holding Group

  • $1,000, Mark Mortsh, of State College. CEO of Hospitality Asset Management

  • $500, Paul and Rhes Hollacher, of State College

  • $250, Evan Alan Myers, of State College

  • $250, Joy Vincent Killian, of State College

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $4,000 to Teamwork Centre County for yard signs and other expenses

  • $927.70 to Centre County Democratic Committee for event registrations and access to a voter database

Steve Dershem

Friends of Steve Dershem has raised $1,200 and spent $39.96. Between that and the $515 carried over from a previous cycle, the ending cash balance is $1,675.75. In unpaid debts, there is a balance of $3,800 in loans to the committee from Dershem.

Largest contributions from political committees:

  • $1,000, Build PA PAC

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $100 each from Steven Dershem and Jess Stairs

Friends of Steve Dershem has spent $39.96 in service charges to Citizens Bank.

Marie Librizzi

Marie 2023, which supports Librizzi, has raised $3,673.81 and spent 1,337.07, leaving a cash balance of $2,336.74.

Largest contributions from individual donors:

  • $3,000, Kathleen Davies, of Pennsylvania Furnace. Retired

  • $250, Michael Trombley, of State College

  • $250, Dennis Malachosky, of State College

  • $153.81, Maria Holland, of West Chester

Largest aggregate expenses:

  • $697.77, Kathleen Davies for stickers, business cards and ball caps

  • $425.24, to Marie Librizzi for shirts

  • $198 to Jill O’Connor for website design.

County Row Offices

Treasurer: Republican Justin Behrens and Democrat Colleen Kennedy are running for treasurer.

Neither Behrens nor Centre County Future PAC, which supports him, reported any donations this cycle.

Kennedy did not file a campaign finance report as of May 9 and will receive a late notice, according to the county elections office.

Recorder of Deeds: Republican Joe Davidson and Democrat Robert Zeigler are running for recorder of deeds.

This cycle committee to elect Joe Davidson has raised $13,288 and spent $1,137.87. Brought forward from the last report is $221.22, leaving a cash balance of $12,371.35.

Zeigler for a Better Tomorrow has raised $5,703 and spent $3,797.47. Between that and $913.91 carried forward from the last report, there is a cash balance of $2,819.44.

Controller: Democrat Jason Moser is running for controller. This cycle Friends of Jason Moser has raised $850 and spent $963.74. Between that and $211.16 brought forward from a previous cycle, there is a cash balance of $97.32.

Sheriff: Republican Bryan Sampsel is running for sheriff. This cycle Sampsel for Sheriff has raised $1,500 and spent $434.09. With $911.55 brought forward from the last report, there is a cash balance of $1,977.46.

Prothonotary: Democrat Jeremy Breon is running for prothonotary. This cycle Friends of Jeremy Breon has raised $4,365 and spent $3,035.83. With $66.65 carried over from a previous cycle, there is a cash balance of $1,395.82.

Register of Wills: Republican Christine Millinder is running for register of wills. This cycle Committee for Christine Millinder Register of Wills has raised $2,600 and spent $280. The committee carried forward $1,495.26 from the last report, leaving a cash balance of $3,815.26.

Coroner: Democrat Scott Sayers is running for coroner. He has spent $548, leaving a cash balance of (-$548).