The Porter County Republican Party Committee and the Porter County Democratic Party Commit-tee both submitted their 2009 campaign finance reports before the March 1 deadline last week with the county Voter Registration office.

The parties were nearly even in total contributions last year with the Democrats reporting $29,355.61, just shy of the Republicans’ total of $29,871.79.

The reports revealed HRC Hotels President Jeff Good of Valparaiso as the top individual donor overall with a $1,845.60 contribution to the Porter County Republicans.

Good’s business, Good Hospitality Services, also gave an additional $2,000 to the county GOP as the highest corporate sponsor of the party.

Other individual Republican contributors who gave more than $400 included Ross Pangere of Portage ($1,000), K. Bruce Snyder of Porter ($840), Jacqueline Sterling of Valparaiso ($570) Michael D. Simpson of Valparaiso ($500), and Zathoe Sexton of Merrillville ($400). Other corporations and organizations giving more than $400 to the county Republican party are Family Express Corporation ($610), Whiteco Industries Inc. ($500), M.E. Simpson Company, Inc. ($475), Hoeppner Wagner & Evans ($475), Soil Solutions ($400), Sandridge Appraisals ($400) Toilex, LLC ($400) and MSF Rentals ($400).

On the Democrat side, the largest individual contributor was Julia Jent of Portage, who gave $310 to the party. Others individual donors reported were Nancy S. Anton of Chesterton ($250), David Chidester of Valparaiso ($230), Joyce Alexa ($230), and Charlotte Read of Chesterton ($215).

Corporations who gave to the county Democrats are Rhame & Elwood ($550) and Anton Insurance ($115).

The Democrats got their majority of support from local Political Action Committees in 2009. Committees which gave more than $1000 included Iron Workers Local 395 IPAL ($2,300), Boilermakers Local #374 ($1,340), Northwest Indiana Federation of Labor ($1,000), and U.S. W. Local Union 12775 ($1,000).

The Voters Registration office also said noon on Friday, April 16, is the deadline for all candidates in the Porter County primary election to file pre-primary campaign finance reports.

Posted 3/10/2010