Fundraiser nets $1M for county executive's re-election bid

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald tripled his campaign war chest on raising more than $1 million at a Downtown fundraiser.

The fundraiser on Thursday in the William Penn Omni hotel was the first in a series of events aimed to build campaign funds for the November 2015 election, Fitzgerald said.

“My plan all along was to try to stay in this job for another term,” he said, adding it was premature to officially announce a re-election bid. Fitzgerald, a Squirrel Hill Democrat, beat Republican D. Raja in November 2011 to win a four-year term as the county's third executive.

Mayor Bill Peduto and former Gov. Ed Rendell spoke at the fundraiser.

“It was terrific. I think it shows the support this community has for our county executive,” said Nancy Patton Mills, the chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. “The energy in the room was just unbelievable.”

Jim Roddey, former county executive and chair of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, was impressed that Fitzgerald topped $1 million at a single event. He said Republicans have reached that level of success only a few times.

“It's never too early if you can raise that kind of money,” Roddey said. “It's very impressive and demonstrates he has a broad base of support.”

Roddey said Fitzgerald will be a difficult candidate to beat in 2015. County Republicans do not yet have a challenger in mind.

Fitzgerald raised $689,234 in 2013 and had $529,293 left by the end of the year, according to campaign finance reports. Donors to his campaign in 2013 included Huntley & Huntley executives Keith Mangini and Michael A. Hillebrand. Each gave $5,000. Monroeville-based Huntley & Huntley, in cooperation with Range Resources, submitted the loan bid to drill for natural gas under the county's Deer Lakes Park in West Deer and Frazer. Negotiations are ongoing.

Fitzgerald said he received campaign contributions from many people, businesses, law firms, unions and environmental groups. It does not influence how he runs the county, he said.

Aaron Aupperlee is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7986 or aaupperlee@tribweb.com.