Reynolds: Donchez Spent $100,000 on Negative Ads

In their last scheduled face-to-face meeting before Tuesday’s Democratic primary, Bethlehem's mayoral candidates continued to argue over negative campaigning.

J. William Reynolds charged that Bob Donchez had spent more than $100,000 on negative advertisements against him.

Donchez countered that “95 or 96 percent” of his campaign mailers have been positive. The ones that were not, Donchez said, were a legitimate effort to educate the voters on Reynolds’ record.

“If he thinks that 95 percent of his ads were positive, I’m not sure we want him in charge at City Hall because there’s a math problem there,” Reynolds said.

The last debate between the two City Council colleagues who want to be mayor was Thursday afternoon in the Grand Ballroom of the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

The event, sponsored by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, was a taping of a special episode of “Business Matters,” the weekly television program hosted by chamber President Tony Iannelli, who moderated.

The program will air Monday—primary election eve—at 7:30 p.m. on WFMZ-TV, Channel 69.

Early on, Iannelli asked Donchez if he had any “regrets” for “the ad” — a flier that contained a photograph of Reynolds as a teenager wearing his baseball cap backward. “Reynolds not ready to lead,” the ad said.

“I stand by our ads,” said Donchez, adding that he is trying to expose Reynolds’ record to the public.

“There are no apologies. It’s politics,” he said.

“Bob has been running as the more experienced, mature candidate and here he is sending out fliers like that,” Reynolds said. “I didn’t take it very seriously.”

His supporters and others in Bethlehem were more upset about it than he was, Reynolds said.

“People are sick of Washington and sick of Harrisburg and they don’t like that kind of campaigning in Bethlehem,” Reynolds said.

Iannelli asked both candidates about the conspicuous absence of Mayor John Callahan—who is running his own campaign for Northampton County executive—as a presence in this race.

“He has said he was going to stay out of this campaign,” said Reynolds, who, through his campaign, has been positive about the way Callahan has run the city.

Donchez, who as at times offered a muted criticism of the current mayor, said he has not asked for Callahan’s endorsement.

“At this point, I would rather he stay neutral,” Donchez said.