By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Money from state political parties helped tip the scales for contributions in the race for Wood County’s state representative last fall.
Campaign finance reports filed with the Ohio Secretary of State showed that Theresa Gavarone, who won the Third District seat, received $416,359 from the Ohio Republican House Organizational Committee and the Ohio Republican State and Central Executive Committee.
Gavarone’s Democratic opponent, Kelly Wicks, received a small fraction of that – $50,057 – from the Ohio Democratic Party.
Both candidates also collected contributions from many political action committees. Unlike years past, when labor unions could be counted on to pitch in for the Democratic candidate, this year several unions contributed to Gavarone’s campaign.
Following is a list of all the PAC or business money noted in the campaign finance reports filed by both candidates.
Gavarone:
- Ohio Trucking Association, Columbus, $1,000
- Pfizer Inc. PAC, New York City, $500
- A. Local 50 Plumbers & Steamfitters, Northwood, $1,000
- Northwestern Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Toledo, $1,000
- Owens Illinois Inc., Perrysburg, $1,000
- Wholesale Beer & Wine Association of Ohio, Columbus, $1,000
- CSX Good Government Fund, Washington, D.C., $1,000
- Associated General Contractors of Ohio PAC, Columbus, $350
- Ohio LawPac, Columbus, $800
- Ohio Optometry PAC, Worthington, $400
- National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio Save America’s Free Enterprise Trust, Washington, D.C., $2,581.25
- Ohio Credit Union Legislative Action Committee, Columbus, $1,000
- Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fund, Toledo, $2,500
- Ohio Dental Association Political Action Committee, Columbus, $500
- Ohio Health Care Association PAC, Lewis Center, Ohio, $1,500
- Osana Nurse Anesthetist, Columbus, $500
- Ohio CPA Political Action Committee, Columbus, $750
- Ohio Contractors PAC, Columbus, $300
- Ohio State Farm Agents and Associates, Cincinnati, $250
- Police & Fire Retirees of Ohio, Reynoldsburg, $300
- Political Education Patterns, Cleveland, $8,000
- ACT Ohio Foundation, Columbus, $3,000
- Realtors PAC, Columbus, $2,000
- Ohio State Medical Association PAC, Dublin, Ohio, $250
- Nisource PAC, Columbus, $500
- Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Columbus, $500
- Frost Brown Todd LLC Political Action Committee, Cincinnati, $350
- Marathon Oil Co. Employees PAC, Findlay, $500
- Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, Columbus, $250
- BP America PAC, Washington, D.C., $500
- Bridget McAuliffe, Barnes & Thornburg lobbyist, Dublin, Ohio, $250
- Government Advantage Group, Columbus, $250
- McDonald Hopkins LLC PAC, Cleveland, $250
- American Electric Power Committee for Responsible Government, Columbus, $1,000
- Renaissance Health Service Corporation PAC, $250
- Ohio Society of Anesthesiologists, Columbus, $500
Wicks:
- OCSEA/AFCME, Westerville, Ohio, $1,000
- Producer Ohio Media LLC, Bowling Green, $1,250
- IUPAT, Hanover, Maryland, $2,000
- UA Plumbers & Steamfitters PAC, Northwood, $300
- International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Ironworkers, Toledo, $500
- United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, Washington, D.C., $3,000
- Ohio AFL-CIO, Columbus, $2,500
- Wood County Insurance Agency, Bowling Green, $250
- International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers Local 45, Toledo, $250
- Lima Building Trades, Lima, $1,000
- Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local Union 33, Rossford, $2,000
- Laborers Local 500 PAC, Toledo, $1,000
- Ohio State UAW Political Action Committee, Maumee, $6,000
- Sheet Metal Workers, Parma, $2,500
While many donations from individuals ranged from $25 to $100, several larger contributions were logged, such as:
Gavarone:
- Joseph Schetz, owner of NWO Beverage, Northwood, $1,500
- Randy Schmeltz, Bradenton, Florida, $1,000
- Patricia Maurer, real estate investor, Bowing Green, $1,500
- Mike Marsh, attorney, Bowling Green, $1,300
- Richard Norton, NMC Company owner, Fostoria, $1,000
- Leslie Lipski, NMC Company executive, Perrysburg, $500
- Edwin Nagle, Nagle Toledo Inc. president, Perrysburg, $500
- Roger Riachi, RFC Contracting owner, Strongsville, Ohio, $1,000
- Ginni Ragan, Columbus, $10,000
- Truman Greenwood, attorney, Perrysburg, $500
- John Eldred, Midwest Tape LLC president, Swanton, $1,000
- Kurt Miller, Perrysburg, president of Miller Diversified, $1,000
- Thomas Pappas & Associates, Columbus, $500
Wicks:
- Dawn Shinew, BGSU professor, $750
- James Weiland, Electronic Merchant Systems chairman, Westlake, Ohio, $2,500
- Jean Romans, Bowling Green, $800
- Laura Wicks, Bowling Green, $1,620
- Joel Kuhlman, Bowing Green, $1,000
- Steve Cernkovich, Bowling Green, $500
- Mary Kuhlman, Pemberville, $500
- Michael Zickar, Perrysburg, $500
- Megan E. Newlove, Newlove Title owner, Bowling Green, $500
- Loraine Young, BGSU professor, $1,000
- Richard Newlove, Newlove Realty owner, $1,000
- John Ostrand, Café Lobo owner, Lincolnville, Maine, $500
- Bridget Wicks, Flagstaff, Arizona, $500
- William Adams, Annadale, Virginia, $1,000
- David Codding, Codding Industries owner, Bowling Green, $500
- Jonathan Orser, Perrysburg, $1,000
Campaign funds were also shifted within the political parties to benefit the local candidates.
Gavarone:
- Friends of Faber, Celina, $1,000
- Wood County Republican Party, Bowling Green, $5,520
- Friends of Tom Patton, Strongsville, Ohio, $1,000
- Lynn Wachtmann, Coldwater, Michigan, $500
- Citizens for Brown, Perrysburg, $7,500
- Robert Latta, Bowling Green, $250
- Wood County Young Republicans, Bowling Green, $1,000
- Latta for Congress, Bowling Green, $1,079
Wicks:
- Perrysburg Area Democratic Club, $100
- Newlove for Commissioner, $800
- Francis Pepper, chairman of Ohio Democratic Party, $500
- Bowling Green Democratic Club, $1,000
- Wood County Democratic Committee, $1,000
- Carney for Ohio, Columbus, $250
