Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli is the top spender so far among four candidates seeking election next week.

Cerilli listed more than $126,000 in new expenses, bringing the total cash she’s used for her reelection since the start of this year to more than $275,000, according to finance reports that detailed campaign spending from mid-June through Oct. 21.

Cerilli, a Democrat, spent more than $300,000 four years ago when she won her first bid for public office and finished as the top vote-getter for a seat on the board of commissioners. She still has more than $36,000 in her campaign fund to cover the final stages of this year’s race.

Voters on Nov. 5 will select three commissioners from among the field that includes Democratic incumbent Ted Kopas and Republicans Sean Kertes and Doug Chew.

Kopas’ campaign listed expenses of $101,000 since June in his bid to win a third four-year term. Kopas’ reelection campaign spent a total of $144,000 since January.

The Democrats are operating separate campaigns and have outpaced the Republicans in both fundraising and spending.

Republican Sean Kertes, who, for the last three years, served as the chief of staff for retiring Commissioner Charles Anderson, spent about $94,000 for his campaign since late last year, including nearly $34,000 since June.

Campaign reports for Chew indicate he spent about $107,000 for his campaign this year, including $47,000 after the May primary.

The campaigns for Cerilli, Kopas and Kertes each paid out money to private consultants for media, advertising and research as well as mailings to voters and other coordination efforts. Chew’s reports indicate he spent money on billboards, signs and campaign literature and for staffers to organize Election Day coverage at the polls.

Chew has primarily self-funded his campaign and lists more than $120,000 in debt through personal loans. His campaign received just more than $3,200 in private donations since spring.

Chew paid a $20 fine Monday after he filed his finance report one day late.

The Cerilli, Kopas and Kertes campaigns listed dozens of small donations of less than $250, although each also received larger contributions, including multiple gifts from individuals with ties to the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County or ventures that do business with the county.

Cerilli’s campaign raised nearly $122,000 this summer and fall.

Cerilli, who before winning a seat on the board of commissioners worked as a public information officer for the water authority, received donations of about $6,400 since June from campaign contributors with ties to the utility. They include one board member and the owners of Resources Development and Management Inc., the Allegheny County-based firm that in 2016 was awarded a 10-year, $13.8 million contract extension to run the authority through 2025. Commissioners appointed the authority’s board of directors who approved the contract extension.

Cerilli’s largest campaign donor was businessman Charles Volpe, who gave her reelection effort three gifts totaling $4,500. Volpe’s company this month was awarded a $1 million contract to provide workers’ compensation employment for the county.

Cerilli did not respond to a request for comment.

Kopas raised more than $38,000 for his reelection campaign since June and has nearly $10,500 remaining to spend.

His campaign’s largest single gift was $2,000 from North Huntingdon businessman A. Keith Stasso. The campaign received $1,000 from municipal authority-related contributors.

“The vast majority of my campaign donations are in small denominations. No campaign donations have ever impacted how I conduct myself in office, period,” Kopas said.

Kertes’ campaign raised more than $73,000 since mid-June, including $7,750 from individuals with ties to the water authority and its management company. That figure includes a $6,000 donation from a political action committee created by Scott Avolio, who serves as the authority’s in-house lawyer.

Kertes also received $15,000 in donations from Anderson’s campaign committee. Anderson this year endorsed Kertes as his replacement.

“Money is a necessary evil to run for political office,” Kertes said. “I do not promise or plan to give (donors) anything. I’m not doing pay-for-play of any kind.”

His campaign listed nearly $42,000 in funds still available to spend.

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