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First-Time Candidates' Campaigns Have Almost As Much Money As Incumbent Opponents

Summer Lee For PA/Sara Innamorato For PA
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Sara Innamorato, left, and Summer Lee, right, are both first-time candidates running against incumbents Dom Costa and Paul Costa.

Dom Costa and Paul Costa have served as state representatives for years. But this year, the two Democrats are facing some spirited competition from two candidates who are giving them a run for their money – literally.

Sara Innamorato is challenging Dom Costa in District 21, and Summer Lee is running against Paul Costa in District 34. Campaign finance reports posted on Friday show that with the May 15 primary less than two weeks away,  both Costas have financial leads of only a few thousand dollars over their opponents.

 

Here’s the breakdown:

 

Dom Costa added $48,636.67 to his campaign funds since late March and ended with a total of $55,053.49.

 

His opponent, Sara Innamorato added $43,179.13 to her campaign funds since late March and ended with a total of $51,560.54.

 

Paul Costa added $53,590.00 to his campaign since late March and ended with $50,106.54.

Summer Lee raised $77,399.26 to her campaign funds since the beginning of 2018, and ended the period with $47,583.27.

 

These are the last full reports that will be available before the primary on May 15.

 

Both Innamorato and Lee got $5,000 in funding from Women for The Future of Pittsburgh PAC – or, WTF Pittsburgh. The newly formed PAC backs progressive female candidates running for office from Western Pennsylvania.

 

“We only have one woman representing the Allegheny county delegation,” says Ashleigh Deemer, of WTF Pittsburgh.

 

“And that’s not right. We have a number of women who have the skills and the knowledge and the energy to be elected in western Pennsylvania, and I hope that Summer [Lee] and Sara [Innamorato] are just the start.”

 

Lee and Innamorato were the first two candidates to get financial support from WTF Pittsburgh, but the PAC has endorsed three other women running for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives: Michele Knoll, Betsy Monroe, and Emily Skopov.