Independent groups raised more than $11.5M in mayoral primary

More than $11.5 million was raised in the Democratic primary campaign for Philadelphia mayor this year by groups that by law were not allowed to coordinate with any of the candidates.

And that number may climb, since one of the so-called independent expenditure groups, Leadership Matters, did not file the campaign finance report that was due Thursday.

The new reports show how much money candidates and political action committees raised in the two weeks before and after the May 19 primary.

Added to previous reports, Thursday's numbers make clear that the outside spending overwhelmingly overshadowed the fund-raising of the six Democrats in the race for mayor.

The biggest spender by far was American Cities, launched by a group of Main Line investment firm owners who put up almost all of the $7.5 million raised to support State Sen. Anthony H. Williams' candidacy.

Williams came in second, 30 percentage points behind former City Councilman Jim Kenney.

Three IE groups that supported Kenney raised nearly $4 million.

One of them, Building a Better PA Fund, raised $1.8 million, including $268,200 in the latest reporting period, from May 5 to June 8. Much of the group's money came from building-trades unions, including $725,000 from union carpenters in New Jersey and $550,000 from Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Another pro-Kenney group, Forward Philadelphia, raised $1.4 million, including $783,100 in the latest reporting period. That group was also heavy with union money, including $200,000 from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and $400,000 from the American Federation of Teachers.

A third pro-Kenney group, the Turnout Project, raised $850,000, though most of that was the money from the New Jersey carpenters that was passed along quickly to Building a Better Pennsylvania Fund.

A 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows IE groups to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money - outside the city's campaign finance limits of $2,900 per individual and $11,500 for political action committees. The groups are not allowed to coordinate efforts with candidates or campaigns.

Kenney reported raising $508,936 in the closing days of the primary campaign, as polls showed him pulling ahead.

Williams brought in $220,104 in those four weeks. Former District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham raised $134,312 while former Common Pleas Court Judge Nelson A. Diaz brought in $135,385, and former State Sen. T. Milton Street Sr. received $17,000. The Philadelphia Board of Elections said it did not receive a report from former PGW executive Doug Oliver.

Melissa Murray Bailey, the lone Republican running for mayor, reported raising $5,545 from May 5 to June 8, leaving her with $9,320 in the bank.

215-854-5973@byChrisBrennan