Pitt Dems to use donations for fall elections

The Pitt College Democrats have a larger war chest for this fall’s elections after two local… The Pitt College Democrats have a larger war chest for this fall’s elections after two local politicians made personal donations to the group.

In the fall, U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., spontaneously donated $1,000 to the club at one of its meetings. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald pledged to donate $1,000 if elected this past November. Staying true to his word, Fitzgerald made out a check to the Pitt College Democrats at their meeting last Tuesday.

“This is one of the largest donations we’ve ever received,” Pitt College Democrats president Lara Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the club has received smaller donations as a result of donation requests its members have sent to politicians in the past, but she would not provide specific amounts or names of donors.

She said that the organization plans on using the money, in part, to campaign for Doyle’s and President Barack Obama’s re-election campaigns this November.

Matt DiFiore, who was president of the Pitt College Democrats when Doyle and Fitzgerald announced their donations in late September, said that the two politicians were impressed by the student turnout at the meetings, the energy of the organization and its participation in the candidates’ campaigning.

Neither Fitzgerald nor Doyle responded to multiple calls for comment on the donations.

After the September meeting at which Doyle made his donation, the organization worked on Fitzgerald’s campaign for Allegheny County executive, and went door to door in Pittsburgh during the weeks leading up to his election.

DiFiore said that Doyle attended several of the group’s meetings this academic year because the group is helping him get the signatures he needs to get on the ballot for the election in November.

As the campaign season gears up, the Pitt College Democrats plan to work closely with the regional director of the Obama campaign in Pittsburgh, helping the campaign out with various events, canvassing and registering student voters.

In the past, the group has worked for the campaign group Students for Barack Obama, and it currently has plans to further work with Obama’s local campaign, register student voters and keep people informed on issues relevant to the election.

The Pitt College Republicans have received similar donations in the past year.

Pitt College Republicans president Casey Rankin said that last spring Allegheny County Councilmember Heather Heidelbaugh donated $500 to the club, and the Republican Committee of Allegheny County gave $250.

Rankin said that the Pitt Republicans also have plans to collect signatures and go door to door this semester to campaign for candidates going on the November ballot, but the club’s members are waiting for an opportunity to use the money. The Pitt Republicans rely largely on donations from candidates and committees for their funding. They also hold T-shirt sales.

As far as events planned for this semester, Rankin said that the Republicans are doing “nothing beyond campaigning.”