Posted on 01/07/2010 7:45:10 PM PST by Big E
Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) dropped out of the race for governor Thursday, drastically shuffling the political landscape and effectively making state Attorney General Tom Corbett the GOP’s presumptive nominee.
Gerlach’s made his announcement in a statement late Thursday afternoon as rumors of his impending withdrawal swirled among party insiders. While there was widespread speculation that he would seek reelection to Congress, his four paragraph statement only alluded to a vow to “continue public service.”
“I entered the race for Governor in order to continue my public service, put forth new ideas for creating jobs, protecting our taxpayers, families and seniors and reinvigorating the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that we all love so much,” Gerlach said. “I am not giving up on achieving those goals. I am, however, ending my campaign for governor.”
Gerlach said his campaign had raised more than $1 million, but lamented that “today’s media-driven campaigns require four times that amount to wage a successful primary.”
“That left me with two choices: either spend all of my time raising money with little time left for meeting with voters; or withdrawing my candidacy and working even harder to serve the public,” he said. “I am choosing to serve the public—many of whom have graciously rewarded me with their support for nearly two decades.”
Gerlach was already considered an underdog against Corbett, who is supported by much of the party leadership. But he had vowed to run a competitive campaign, and some public polling had showed a winnable—thought very difficult—race. State Representative Sam Rohrer (R-Berks) remains in the race but was seen as a long-shot candidate even when Gerlach promised to split some of the vote.
If Gerlach decides to seek reelection in the 6th District, it will further shake up the landscape. Almost half-a-dozen Republicans are vying for the party’s nomination to succeed him, and Democrats were looking forward to their best chance at capturing the district since it was created in redistricting almost a decade ago.
Aides to Gerlach could be immediately reached to comment on his intentions. But a campaign spokesman told CQ Politics that Gerlach “has not ruled anything out,” and his campaign manager told Pennsylvania Public Radio that a decision would come in “the next few days.”
I guess he decided he couldn't beat the sitting PA Attorney General, Tom Corbett, in the primary, and figured he really did have a good chance to get reelected in the coming 2010 GOP wave.
PA 6 includes Lower Merion, Norristown, and part of Reading. Its BEEN Blue ever since it was drawn up. God only knows why the Republicans int he legislature created it like they did. They did a really bad job of drawing lines though.
““I entered the race for Governor in order to continue my public service, put forth new ideas for creating jobs, protecting our taxpayers, blah, blah, blah, blah.......”
This pisses me off. “....new ideas for creating jobs...”
These asshats that say that have to be Leftists, either Dems, or RINO’s, cause they don’t understand where jobs come from. I wonder if they know where food comes from besides the Supermarket.
“God only knows why the Republicans int he legislature created it like they did.”
Well, I don’t call it the “Kick Me Hard” party for nothing.
The GOP probably thought that if they made nice nice with the Dems that they could all get together and share milk and cookies.
Hopefully, those days are gone now!
You’re right to be pissed. These morons need to get out of the way and let the private sector create jobs.
Stop spending our money! Stop taxing us to death!!
You’re right to be pissed. These morons need to get out of the way and let the private sector create jobs.
Stop spending our money! Stop taxing us to death!!
Well, the district would have been strongly Republican say, in the 80s or early 90s. The redistricters were attempting to get rid of Dem Rep. Tim Holden by drawing him into a district he couldn’t win, either the new PA-6 or the Harrisburg-area district held at the time by Republican George Gekas. Well, it backfired on them; Gekas lost to Holden, and Gerlach has only barely held on in a district that contains too much of Montgomery County, which I presume they put in there from PA-13 so they could move it into NE Philly.
And they destroyed PA-13 in so doing.
No, they got greedy. They could have drawn 12 strong Repubican districts to 7 Democrat districts. Instead, they drew 13 weak Reapublican ones, and have managed to lose 5 of them.
Its really very simple, even though the Republicans don’t seem to get it.
Philadelphia has 3 Democratic congressmen, but only enough population for 2.5 seats. Each seat had to have +/-646,371 people, and Philadelphia was 421,563 short. The solution was to remove all the Republican leaning areas of Northeast Philadelphia into one district with the inner parts of Bucksco, Delco, and Montco like Bristol, Bensalem, Cheltenham, Abington, Norristown, and Lower Merion, then throw Chester, Yeadon, and Darby in with the rest of Philadelphia. This gets all the Democrats in greater Philly into 3 districts, and leaves one of them marginally competitive for a RINO. Then you run a district from Scranton and Wilkes-Barre to Schuylkill County and then down to Reading. Then you make a district out of Pittsburgh and inner Allegheny County, and another out of Beaver, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, and Washington Counties. Lastly, you put Cambria, Fayette, and Westmoreland together for Old Blowhard. The rest of the state is 12 districts that are safely and uncompetitively Republican.
Instead of concentrating the strong Democrat areas of the suburbs into the Philadelphia seats, they instead spread them out amongst PA-8 (Bucks), PA-7 (Delco), and PA-6 (the monstrosity), and added chunks of Philadelphia to PA-8. Not only didn’t we win PA-13, but we lost PA-7, PA-8,
This is good news. Corbett will carry the banner for PA conservatives well.
Tom Corbett is most likely going to be Pa’s next governor. He’s a solid conservative so this is good news. Fast Eddie is termed out and there are a bunch of Demorat candidates vying for the nomination. Jack Wagner might be strong challenger. Not sure who will get the nod, but there’s a good chance Corbett will win the governorship and now he does not have to spend any money in the primary. His opponent will be in a tough primary fight and will have to spend a lot of money there.
“I guess he decided he couldn’t beat the sitting PA Attorney General, Tom Corbett, in the primary, and figured he really did have a good chance to get reelected in the coming 2010 GOP wave. “
And, he now has a million dollars to campaign with...
Maybe - does Pennsylvania law allow unlimited transfers from a federal campaign committee to a state committee?
How’s Corbett? Is he conservative? Does he have a chance?
By the way, PA is fast becoming the state of “Chicago” on the east coast with Fast Eddy in the governor’s seat.
I think Lazlo is right, Corbett strikes me as a RINO. It’s hard to tell since he has no legislative record, but the whole PA GOP RINO establishment is behind him. The true conservative is Sam Rohrer, who happens to be my state rep. Unfortunately, I think he’ll have a tough time getting traction, because Corbett is well-known, and pretty much of a blank slate. Corbett will campaign as a conservative, say all the right things, and then be another Tom Ridge.
It is a shame that PA 13 has to tolerate communist Allyson Schwartz as there Congressman! PA 13 use to vote Republican but with the merger of NE Philly with a part of Montgomery County the seat always goes Democrat (socialist).
And PA-8 has been stuck with Patrick Murphy, aka Patrick Murtha.
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