Democratic wave didn't splash Gerlach

Beaver County Times ^ | November 10, 2006 | Eric Poole

[Dems_R_Losers]

READING, PA. - The Democratic wave of 2006 didn't wash away U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, but it did moisten the cuffs on his trousers.

On a night when many of his fellow Republicans went down to defeat, Gerlach - an Ellwood City native and 1973 Lincoln High School graduate - held on to his seat in Congress, defeating Democrat Lois Murphy on Tuesday in a rematch of 2004.

Gerlach, R-6, Chester Springs, returns to Congress from Pennsylvania's 6th District, which covers the Philadelphia exurban counties of Berks, Chester, Lehigh and Montgomery.

Because Gerlach defeated Murphy by only two percentage points two years ago, he said his district was seen by national Democratic officials as among the most vulnerable Republican-held seats in Pennsylvania.

"I was a top target," he said.

But even as early returns had Murphy leading on a night when the Democrats won control of Congress, Gerlach said he wasn't worried. During his first two congressional races, Gerlach said the initial results came in from Democratic strongholds of Montgomery and Berks counties.

After those two counties reported, Gerlach trailed Murphy 51 percent to 49-percent, which was expected. But Chester County, where Gerlach lives, had yet to release its vote totals.

"I'm usually down when those two results come in," he said. "Chester County usually puts us over the top."

In this race, Gerlach had one advantage.

While President Bush's low approval ratings - in the high 30 percent range - hurt other Republicans, Gerlach's credentials as a moderate Republican prevented Democrats from linking him too closely to Bush.

During his first two terms in Congress, Gerlach's stances differed from Bush's on some major issues, including support for federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research and opposition to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Gerlach, who represents one of the fastest-growing regions in Pennsylvania, is among the leading national Republicans on environmental issues, particularly water conservation and green space preservation.

In January, he will return to a Congress controlled by the opposition party for the first time of his tenure in Washington, D.C.

Gerlach said his priorities for his third term are security-related - "economic security, energy security and national security."

The three are not unrelated. National security, in his view, involves not only fighting terrorism overseas and ensuring safety at home, but also reducing the United States' dependence on Middle Eastern oil.

But his immediate focus is of more personal importance.

Tonight, Downingtown West High School's football team opens the PIAA Class AAAA District 1 playoffs against Boyertown. Gerlach's son Robert is a senior starting wingback and defensive back for the Downingtown West Whippets (9-1).

In coach Mike Milano's Wing-T offense, the younger Gerlach has 32 carries for 251 yards and 18 receptions for 364 yards (20.2 yards a catch), and four touchdowns.

In the early 1970s, Jim Gerlach played running back for Ellwood City. "We didn't have 9-1 teams," he said.

Even 35 years later, the congressman can easily rattle off the Wolverines' won-lost records, a cumulative 4-24-2 in 1970-72. So he's taking a little more pride in his son's athletic accomplishments.

And he's looking forward to taking a few hours away from politics. "I'm focusing on being a dad and watching my son."

[California Patriot]

It sucks that there was a bad campaign. But this gives me hope that we might take the district back in '08. Clearly, a full effort wasn't made this time. Thanks for sharing the info.