Attorney General Josh Shapiro is the only Democrat running for governor of Pennsylvania and he's raised $18 million in the past 15 months — or more than all nine of his potential Republican opponents combined.

Spotlight PA dug into the sources of that windfall and found labor unions, a California megadonor, and philanthropists in states nationwide. 

This includes an array of unions and their parent affiliates that have given more than $3.7 million to Shapiro since the start of 2021. There are also billionaires like Thomas Hagen, board chair of Erie Indemnity Company, who gave Shapiro $500,000 in two separate donations last year, and Micheal Rubin, an owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, who contributed $250,000.

Shapiro's lack of competition in the primary is helping him to raise more money. It's letting him hold onto more, too. 

His cash balance was just over $16 million at the start of April. In contrast, the GOP candidates began the month with far less money on hand. Former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain had the most available, with $1.7 million.

But the fundraising landscape is likely to change after May 17. 

THE CONTEXT: Large national groups such as the Democratic and Republican governors associations have yet to start pouring money into Pennsylvania, a key battleground in the 2022 midterm.

Another potential game-changer: so-called independent expenditures by people or groups who can’t coordinate with campaigns, but who can still spend money on television ads, mailers, and other materials.

The stakes are high. The person who wins the governor's office sets the state’s political and policy agenda and has the power to appoint cabinet members with broad authority, including election oversight.

Muhlenberg College political analyst Chris Borick said Democrats appear unlikely to win control of either legislative chamber this fall, meaning they are focusing their efforts on maintaining control of the executive branch, if for no other reason than to provide a check on the legislature's actions.

Spotlight PA has also published a money guide for the Republican candidates for governor. And don't forget: You have until Monday to register to vote in the May 17 primary. Check your status here.

POLL RESULTS: WESA's Chris Potter sums up the findings of a new Monmouth University poll of Pennsylvania primary voters like this: "Dems are cohering around a candidate but not an ideology. On the GOP side it is the other way around — and Trump is not the glue you might expect."

MUSK HOUSE: As a UPenn student, new Twitter owner Elon Musk turned his house into a nightclub where he could be found playing video games alone in his room as guests filled the property. Musk, who was born into wealth and is now the world's richest person, said he used the proceeds to cover rent. Here's what experts think about his latest purchase.

FLU REPORTS: Bird flu is spreading in Pennsylvania and state officials are asking for the public's help. Sick or dead birds found in the wild should be reported to the Game Commission, while sick or dead domestic birds should be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. TribLIVE has contact info for both and tips for avoiding transmission.

POST UP: President Joe Biden appointed pediatrician Ala Stanford of Philadelphia's Black Doctors Consortium to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 3 office, which covers Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, per WHYY.

CUB REPORTER: Hilde Lysiak was eight when she responded to a lack of local news coverage in her hometown of Selinsgrove by creating a local news outlet of her own, the Orange Street News. Now 15 and living in Arizona, Hilde has written a memoir about the experience.