Northampton County's Money Race

Post-primary reports were due last week. They've been scanned and will be posted online soon enough, but I thought I'd give you my own analysis.

1) Is Callahan running for Congress or County Exec? - According to his first quarter report with the FEC, Callahan raised no money. He spent $7,042.20, leaving him with just $17,535.57. That's a little better than the $698 treasury of Jake Towne, but pales in comparison to the $91,401 that Charlie Dent reports in his campaign coffers.

While Callahan's federal committee appears to be dying, his long-dormant local treasury has suddenly come to life. Between May 3 and June 6, he received $3,000, all of it from Abe Atiyeh. It's no secret that Atiyeh would really like to build apartments at the corner of Center and Dewberry, and he's obviously enlisting Hizzoner's support. Callahan has spread that money to Controller Steve Barron ($500) and Bethlehem City Council candidate Mike Recchiuti ($1,000).

No matter how strongly Callahan may privately deny it, the money indicates that Callahan will seek some local office, like County Exec.

2) Bethlehem City Council Democrats are taking their Republican challengers seriously. - Bob Donchez is sitting on a $33,385.43 mountain of cash. J. Willie Reynolds has banked $17,503.64. Even Mike Recchiuti has $3,888.61. They're way ahead of Republican Al Bernotas, Tom Carroll and Tony Simao. Each of them received a $1,000 donation from mild-mannered Bob Pfenning, a regular at Bethlehem City Council meetings.

3) Angle is prepared for the Gracedale storm. - Northampton County Council member Ron Angle was a vocal advocate of Gracedale's sale. He was overruled by nearly 20,000 voters in a plebiscite. Of course, this will be the battle cry for his removal as a Council member. But Angle has accumulated $43,052.22. His Wind Gap opponent, Scott Parsons, reports just $244.20 in the bank.

4) It pays to be a union agent. - Northampton County Council candidate Ken Kraft worries that some voters will be reluctant to elect a union agent, even though he works with private sector unions who pay for their own benefits. Since he's running in Bethlehem, and not the Slate Belt, he has nothing to worry about. Besides, the unions love him. He has $10,699.78 in his coffers compared to the $1,001.09 being held by his opponent, Seth Vaughn.

These dudes are both ex-Marines, so I think they'll just duke it out with grenades or something.

5) Glenn Reibman plays Kingmaker. - $1,000 for Controller Barron von Footinmouth. Another $500 for Sal Panto and J Willie Reynolds. There's even $1,500 for Boscola, who's not running for anything. Of course, he's doing all this with money that was given for his campaign, not theirs.

Anybody who trashes Stoffa is good for at least $1,000 from Reibman.

6) McClure rewarded by AFSCME. - He picked up $1,000. Funny. He's the only pol, so far, who has been bankrolled by the union representing most county workers. He has $13,435. His opponent, Matt Connolly, has not raised a dime.