Super PACS made early picks for mayor in 2015 and 2019. This year, they’re in flux.

Philadelphia’s political community last week pored over and parsed new annual campaign finance reports that offer a window into how candidates in the Democratic primary for mayor are faring so far.

But no matter how much money is raised by the nine Democrats seeking to replace Mayor Jim Kenney, there is still a good chance they will be outspent by super PACs, political action committees that can ignore the city’s campaign finance limits if they don’t coordinate with a campaign.

That was the case in 2015 and 2019, when unions for building trades workers and public school teachers contributed to super PACs to help Kenney win his two terms in office.

But for 2023 the super PAC field in Philadelphia is still largely in flux.

For A Better Philadelphia, a super PAC supporting ShopRite store operator Jeff Brown, raised more than $3 million in 2022 and reported about $1.9 million in the bank as of Dec. 31 after funding an early round of television commercials.

More than 80% of that money — $2,475,000 — came from a nonprofit registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State under the same name last April.

It is not clear if that nonprofit will disclose where that money came from.

“We’re going to follow the letter and the spirit of the law as it is written,” said Dan Siegel, a spokesperson for the super PAC when asked if its nonprofit arm would disclose donors.

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According to the city’s campaign finance law, nonprofits that fund super PACs trying to influence an election must file a report disclosing donors if the PAC spends $5,000 or more of that money within 50 days of the election.

That means a nonprofit would not have to report how it raised money to give to a super PAC if the super PAC spends all that money before March 27, 50 days before the May 16 primary.

Another super PAC, Philadelphians For Our Future, reported raising $172,000 in 2022 in a bid to support former City Councilmember Cherelle Parker and had $153,410 in the bank as of Dec. 31.

That included three contributions of $25,000 from unions representing local carpenters, operating engineers, and painters. Gregory Segall, CEO of the private equity firm Versa Capitol, kicked in $50,000.

John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, the former leader of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, was central in unifying building trades unions behind Kenney in 2015 and 2019.

Dougherty, already convicted in one federal trial and awaiting two more trials, is only a spectator in this year’s primary.

As of now, the Building and Construction Trades Council, a coalition of about 30 unions once led by Dougherty in the Philadelphia region, has not unified behind a candidate.

Ryan Boyer, who leads the Laborers District Council and took over the building trades council from Dougherty, said something is in the works but would not say what.

“I’m not prepared to make an announcement,” Boyer said.

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Local 98 had $13.6 million in its main political action committee as of Dec. 31. Mark Lynch Jr., who succeeded Dougherty at that union, also suggested a candidate might emerge with building trades backing.

“Frankly, it’s still early in the process but IBEW Local 98 will be collaborating closely with our fellow Building Trades in determining what will hopefully be labor’s consensus mayoral pick in the May Primary,” Lynch said in a statement emailed to The Inquirer.

The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, which reported nearly $4.7 million in the bank for its main political action committee as of Dec. 31, created a new federal super PAC, Foundations For A Better Future, in October 2021.

That federal PAC gave $25,000 to a pro-Brown super PAC in August and $25,000 to a pro-Parker super PAC in December.

Bill Sproule, executive secretary and treasurer of the carpenters union, did not respond to a request for comment.

The American Federation of Teachers and its local chapter were part of a trio of super PACS that backed Kenney in 2015 and 2019, helping him win competitive primaries in both elections.

The city’s public school teachers’ union endorsed former City Councilmember Helen Gym last month. Jerry Jordan, who leads that local union, said it “looks forward to doing all we can to get the message out” about her campaign. But the union has so far not created or contributed to a super PAC for her.

Local soda bottlers from the American Beverage Association, angered by the local sweetened-beverage tax Kenney signed into law during his first term, tried to unseat him in the 2019 primary.

While that effort failed, the ABA also backed a key ally, helping former City Councilmember Maria Quiñones Sánchez narrowly win another term. She’s now a candidate for mayor. She and Brown, who also opposed the beverage tax, could benefit if the local ABA members decide to fund a super PAC.

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A Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit founded in late 2021 that then launched the super PAC Greater Expectations PHL, courted controversy last year when it unsuccessfully targeted three progressive state legislators from the city.

Founded to push improvements in economic issues, crime-fighting, and education, those elections last year were expected to be a test run for 2023 races for mayor and City Council. But Greater Expectations PHL ended the year with just $2,500 in the bank.

Founder Mark Gleason said the PAC is in a “strategy and fund-raising stage right now” for an effort to launch in the spring that could touch on both elections.