TWO REPUBLICANS — Anthony Amore and Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson — are shaping up to be the top two beneficiaries of a super PAC with ties to Gov. Charlie Baker that says it backs politically centrist candidates from both parties.
In a campaign finance filing on Wednesday, the Massachusetts Majority super PAC reported spending another $106,000 supporting Amore, who is challenging Sen. Diana DiZoglio in the race for state auditor.
The latest expenditure brings to $206,000 the amount of money the super PAC has spent on Amore’s behalf, along with $100,000 spent opposing the candidacy of DiZoglio. The combined $306,000 represents 28 percent of the $1.4 million the super PAC has spent on 38 political races in Massachusetts since the primary.
The super PAC has spent a total of $120,923 supporting Hodgson, including $44,399 reported Wednesday. The total backing for Hodgson represents about 8 percent of what the super PAC has spent so far in the general election. Hodgson is facing a challenge from Democratic Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux.
The Massachusetts Majority super PAC is likely to spend a lot more money over the next few days leading up to Tuesday’s election.
Other big beneficiaries of the super PAC so far include Republican Timothy Whelan, who is running for sheriff in Barnstable County against Democrat Donna Buckley. The super PAC has spent a total of $105,498 on Whelan’s behalf.
The super PAC has spent $80,799 on behalf of Daniel Higgins, a Republican running for district attorney from the Cape and Islands against Democrat Robert Galibois.
The super PAC has also spent $47,735 supporting Republican Ed Dombroski of Wakefield, who is challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Jason Lewis of Winchester; $47,735 supporting Republican William Johnson of Granby, who is running for Senate against Rep. Jacob Oliveira of Ludlow; and $45,278 on behalf of Rep. Shawn Dooley of Wrentham, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Becca Rausch of Needham.
More than three-quarters of the candidates supported by the super PAC are Republicans. The precise numbers are 29 Republicans, seven Democrats, one Independent, and one Unenrolled.
Five of the Democrats are incumbents, including Sen. Michael Rodrigues of Westport and Reps. Jonathan Zlotnik of Gardner, Joseph McGonagle of Everett, Michael Kushmerek of Fitchburg, and Colleen Garry of Dracut. The two other Democrats are Simon Cataldo of Concord, who is running for state rep against Republican Rodney Cleaves of Chelmsford, and Rodney Elliott of Lowell, who is running for rep against Karla Jean Miller of Lowell.
Spending on advertising is influenced by the size of the district. Amore is running statewide and Whelan, Hodgson, and Higgins are running in county races.