The Case Against Campaign Finance Reform

If there was ever a study of the corrosive effects of money on the political system, it's the 30th Senate District in Pennsylvania.

State Sen. Robert Jubelirer didn’t retain his 30th District seat, but he won the race to raise money by a landslide.

In the pursuit of the Republican nomination for the seat, Jubelirer by far spent the most: about $1.4 million.

About a half-million of that was spent in the last weeks of the race, according to his post-primary campaign finance report.

John H. Eichelberger Jr. — who won the May 16 primary and faces Democrat Greg Morris in November — spent $254,509. Jubelirer spent about that much in newspaper, radio and television advertising in the post-primary period.

Eichelberger paid about $88,000 for advertising out of about $145,000 spent during the post-primary period.

Of note in Jubelirer’s most recent report is support from more than two dozen attorneys. Out of 59 contributions of $250 or more, 28 came from people listed as attorneys. Jubelirer is an attorney, although he has said he stopped practicing law about 25 years ago.

The challenger, Blair County Comissioner John Eichelberger was outspent nearly 6 to 1 and still beat the incumbent Senate President Pro-Tem Robert Jubelirer in a three way race 44% to 36%.

Pennsylvania Posted by AlexC at July 2, 2006 12:49 PM