Posted on 03/08/2006 9:10:43 AM PST by smoothsailing
Irey files to challenge Murtha
Barbara S. Miller
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Washington County Commissioner Diana L. Irey, an all-but-announced Republican congressional candidate, has taken the first formal step toward a bid to unseat veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha.
Neither Irey nor her media consultant, John Brabender, returned phone calls for comment Tuesday after Irey's name was listed among those having filed as candidates in Harrisburg, and her secretary said she would not be in the Washington County commissioners' office, where she took few questions last week on her pending decision.
"Petitions are being circulated. If I'm going to be a candidate, I will announce. I'm still weighing this. I'm looking at it, and I don't have any other comment," said Irey, 43, of Carroll Township.
At a gathering of Peters Township Republicans Thursday night, she gave a small audience that braved a snowstorm an update about Washington County's new voting machines and a recent redevelopment authority retreat.
Her mention of "a little news story" that she was circulating petitions was met with applause, and she told of appearing with Fox News Network's Sean Hannity and U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., in Cambria County the weekend before last.
"I had a lot of encouragement at that event," Irey said of her parley with Hannity, which also included a stop at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
She said Hannity signed one of her nominating petitions. He's not a Pennsylvania resident, so Irey said she's keeping that page as a memento, tacked to the door of her refrigerator.
"I will be giving you a final decision in the very near future," Irey said of what would be her first run for office outside Washington County, where she has been a commissioner since 1996.
State Sen. John Pippy, R-Moon, was treating Irey's petition drive as a fait accompli at the gathering in Peters Township, which is part of the 18th Congressional District represented by Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, not the 12th, which Murtha represents.
"I'm delighted at Diana's pending decision," he said. "We can send two Republicans to Congress."
Bonnie West of Lawrence, a Cecil Township Republican committeewoman and vice chairman of the county GOP, said of an Irey run for Congress, "I'd be thrilled to death. I don't approve of Murtha's stance against the war in Iraq."
In November, Murtha, a 73-year-old decorated veteran from the Johnstown area, called for an immediate pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq. The House Republican leadership forced a vote on the withdrawal proposal, which even Murtha voted against.
"I understand it's going to be a very uphill battle for her, because of the amount of Democrats here," West said.
Murtha, the senior member of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation, was elected to Congress in 1974.
"Even though the 12th Congressional District has a Democratic registration edge of about 150,000, and even though I've defeated 22 opponents, including two congressional incumbents, in primary and general elections during my 32 years in office, I take every opponent seriously," Murtha said through a spokesman Tuesday.
The 12th Congressional District includes about half of Washington County, all of Greene County and pieces or all of seven other counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Cambria, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland.
In the 18th Congressional District, which includes the northern part of Washington County and parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, two Democrats are vying for the opportunity to face Murphy in November.
Chad Kluko, 44, of Monroeville, who won the endorsement of Allegheny County Democrats last month, and Tom Kovach, 44, of Peters Township will square off in the May 16 primary.
Murphy, 53, a former state senator, was elected to the House of Representatives in 2002.
On the Web: For the latest on candidate filings, go to www.dos.state.pa.us © 2006 Observer Publishing Co.
"... I take every opponent seriously," Murtha said through a spokesman Tuesday.
Except if they are terrorists
How soon before we see the bumper sticker," Run Murtha Run!"
How soon before we see the bumper sticker," Run Murtha Run!"
Hope you had a nice evening! Thanks for the honk!!
Thanks for the website.
Hopefully they can get it together.
Please let me know.
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