Who is donating to Thompson, Bilger in 2026 US House race? What filings show so far
U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson has outraised his Democratic opponent ninefold so far this year, but Ray Bilger put up much stronger numbers than past Democrats at this point in the race for Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district.
Thompson brought in more than $360,000 in contributions between January and March, two-thirds of which came from political action committees, according to campaign finance records released in the last two weeks. The nine-term congressman closed out the first quarter with $822,000 on hand, about $45,000 less than he started the year with.
Bilger, an activist and veteran, raised $41,320 in his first bid for public office. The haul is well short of the $100,000 goal Bilger set for himself after launching his campaign, though past Thompson opponents either raised a fraction of what Bilger did or hadn’t yet launched a campaign by the April filing deadline. Bilger received no corporate support, despite a stated willingness to, and enters the second quarter with $27,208 on hand.
“Congressman Thompson is humbled by the support he continues to receive from donors and voters,” his campaign spokesperson, Matt Brennan, wrote in a text. Elections, he added, are “earned through hard work, showing up, and sharing his successful legislative record.”
Brennan declined to answer a list of questions.
The Bilger camp came away from the first quarter optimistic.
“It’s very rare you have a first-time candidate in a red district who can put up these numbers,” Bilger’s treasurer, Christopher Hale, said. A former congressional candidate himself, Hale said the Democrat could be on track to raise $250,000.
“I’m surprised how well he did,” Hale added. He said the Bilger’s campaign manager, Mia Petrunyak, could answer more detailed questions, though she did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Thompson was far from the top fundraiser in the commonwealth, but his seat is not considered competitive. Republicans and Democrats running in Eastern Pennsylvania swing districts took home hauls in the millions.
Bilger put up slightly below average numbers for a Pennsylvania Democrat running in a deep red district this cycle. Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district covers a broad swath of North-Central Pennsylvania, including Centre County.
Thompson, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, has campaign coffers largely lined by individuals and groups associated with the sector. Oil and construction money also make significant appearances in his campaign finance report.
The majority of Thompson’s money comes from out of state, in large part due to political action committee spending.
Some notable Thompson donors:
- Chris Hoffman, president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, donated $500.
- Daniel Hawbaker, CEO of the Glenn O. Hawbaker construction company and longtime Republican donor, pitched in $5,000.
- George Woskob, a Penn State donor and alumnus, donated $2,000.
- Michael Rigas, who was swept up in the Adelphia Communications fraud case and eventually pled guilty to a misdemeanor, donated $2,000.
- Members of the Kriebel Gas family in Clarion County together donated $18,000.
- Monica Sechler, of the Bell & Evans chicken farm, was the top individual donor to Thompson’s campaign, pitching in $6,600. Three men contributed more, but to Thompson’s PAC: Zippo CEO George Duke ($50,000), psychologist and behavioral health businessman Larry J. Nulton ($15,000) and Superior Tire & Rubber Corp. CEO Hank LeMeur ($10,000).
Bilger’s donors are almost entirely State College based. Many are retirees or Penn State employees.
Some notable ones include:
- Evan Myers, the State College borough council president, a Penn State trustee and top AccuWeather executive, donated $500. His brother Joel, AccuWeather’s executive chairman, donated to Thompson’s PAC.
- Betsy Whitman, a Patton Township supervisor, donated $300.
- Margie Swoboda, the Centre County Democratic chair and an early Bilger supporter, donated $500.
- P. Steven Lynn, emeritus pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, and Patrick Gorman, a Virginia-based investor who overlapped with Bilger in the Air Force and intelligence communities, were the campaign’s top donors. Each donated $3,500.
Thompson has spent $415,000, almost half of which was donations to the House GOP’s national fundraising group; $80,000 went to fundraising consultants.
Bilger has spent $14,112. More than $5,000 went to his campaign manager, another $6,000 went to the state Democratic Party for a voter list and the rest went to miscellaneous, back-end expenses.
Thompson has enjoyed insurmountable fundraising advantages against each of his Democratic opponents. He outraised his last, Zach Womer, 20:1 on the way to a 43-point victory. Where Thompson has brought in more than $1 million in each of his last eight campaigns, Democrats have only once put up a candidate who raised more than $150,000
This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 9:28 AM.
