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City Council races: Where the money is

City Council campaign finance reports filed on Monday show why incumbents are hard to unseat.

Council President Anna C. Verna has more money on hand than anyone, with $318,242. Verna is not seeking reelection, but she will have the ability to help her friends.

At-large Democrat Bill Green led all Council candidates whose reports were available yesterday, with Republican 10th District Councilman Brian O'Neill ($179,288) gearing up for a challenge from likely Democratic opponent Bill Rubin, who has a lot of catching up to do with only $9,894 thus far.

Both Tasco, who is Council's Majority Leader, and Democratic Majority Whip Darrell L. Clarke are considered heavy favorites to win in their districts, and each is well funded. Clark has $133,361, and Tasco $127,743. Even outgoing Councilwoman Joan Krajewski, a Democrat who is not seeking reelection, has more than $118,141.

The remaining incumbents available Monday were Goode ($86,351); Reynolds Brown ($76,684); Greenlee ($68,654); Jannie L. Blackwell ($51,957); Frank DiCicco ($36,855); Maria Quinones Sanchez ($19,910); and Frank Rizzo ($10,546).

Among challengers, Republican John Giordano, a 35-year-old former U.S. Department of Justice attorney attorney seeking an at-large seat, turned heads with $100,180 to lead all challengers. Giordano appears to have the support of formidable GOP stalwarts including national Committeeman Robert Asher, whose Pennsylvania Future Fund gave Giordano $5,000. The next closest Republican was at-large candidate David Oh, with $26,712, followed by at-large candidate State Rep. Dennis O'Brien ($20,229); and Lou Lanni ($3,385), seeking his party's nomination in DiCicco's 1st District.

Sherri Cohen, attorney, activist and daughter of former Councilman David Cohen, led Democrats with $40,950. Cohen is seeking an at-large seat. She was followed by Greg Paulmier ($39,100), a candidate for the 8th District seat being vacated by Donna Reed Miller; at-large candidate Andy Toy ($28,285); Dan Savage ($26,496), likely to challenge Sanchez in the 7th District; Donna Gentile O'Donnell ($24,619); and Alicia Burbage ($2,160), challenging Blackwell in the 3rd District.

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