Free Republic

Pennsylvania's primary election is May 18 and, third-party romantics aside, from it will be chosen the candidates who will be the people who lead this state. A little over a million of Pennsylvania's 8.4 million registered voters will not participate in this choice because they have registered as something other than a Republican or Democrat. Pennsylvania is one of 14 closed primary states. The actual breakdown of labels is 36,473 Libertarians; 484,597 "no affiliation" and 490,526 "other voters.

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled today that Joe Vod Varka failed to get the 2,000 valid signatures required to be on the May 18 ballot for the Democrat Party senate primary election. Vod Varka, a small business owner from Allegheny County, shocked the political establishment by appearing to get the signatures last March. He describes himself as a conservative Democrat. He is against ObamaCare and has been an NRA member for 36 years.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Sam Rohrer has gained the endorsement of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN6) who has been called the second most dangerous woman in American. . . . . .Mrs. Bachmann met Rohrer in 1998 when Rohrer went to Minnesota to discuss federal mandates regarding schools. She says it was he who inspired her to run for office as a state senator.

The Pennsylvania House State Government Committee, March 23, unanimously gave its OK to House Bill 2271 that would make it a criminal offense for a legislator to mail tax-funded pieces within 60 days of an election in which the legislator is a candidate for public office. State House and Senate rules now prohibit the practice and they are generally followed but the act is not yet criminal. The bill would subject a transgressor to "a fine of not more than $1,000 or to imprisonment for not more than one year or both".

Chris Paige has withdrawn from the Pennsylvania 11th Congressional District Republican Primary leaving Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta the last man standing to face the Democrat candidate this November.

Mark M. Gillen, the man who won an election in 2001 for Berks County Jury Commissioner to eliminate the $18,000 part-time job, is seeking the 128th District seat in the State House being vacated by Samuel E. Rohrer to pursue the Republican nomination for governor.

Most observers figure the GOP nomination for this year's governor's race has been wrapped up with a pretty bow on top for party-endorsed Attorney General Tom Corbett but by the slew of stops he has slated for for March last-challenger-left Sam Rohrer seems determined to see them surprised.

Robert Allen Mansfield, a sergeant in the National Guard with service in Iraq, has announced he is dropping out of the May 18 Republican primary election to run for governor as an independent. The state Republican committee voted overwhelmingly, last month, to endorse Attorney General Tom Corbett for the spot. Still in the primary race is state Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-128) Mansfield is an African-American from Philadelphia, born in 1971, whose heroine addicted mother put him up for adoption. He spent two years in foster care before being adopted by the Mansfield family.

Former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel, who ended his bid Thursday to replace fellow Democrat John Murtha as Pennsylvania 12th District's representative in Congress, has endorsed Mark Critz for the seat. Critz is Murtha's former district director.

Joe Watkins, the pastor of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church which is the oldest African American Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, has announced he is ending his bid to be the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor making the road for party-endorsed Joe Cawley, a Bucks County Commissioner, that much smoother. Watkins was expected to Cawley's biggest threat. Those saying they are still in the race are: Chet Beiler -- former Lancaster County GOP chairman Steve Johnson-- York County businessman Russ Diamond, founder of PaCleanSweep Candidates who still have their campaign websites up include: Billy McCue, a businessman John Kennedy, a former state...

The ballot to replace Democrat John Murtha as the representative for Pa-12 in Congress has gotten longer with announcements by Murtha's former district director Mark Critz and Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr. that they will seek the seat. They join fellow Democrats former Lt. Gov Mark Singel and former State Treasurer Barbera Hafer in the race along with Ron Mackell Jr. and 34-year-old Ryan Bucchianeri who had begun primary challenges before Murtha's Feb. 8 death. Meanwhile, Murtha's widow, Joyce, has announced she will not run.

Chester County businessman Steven Welch announced this morning that he is ending his quest to represent Pennsylvania's 6th District in Congress preventing what could have been a costly primary battle with incumbent Jim Gerlach.

Former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel has announced that he will seek the 12th District Pennsylvania congressional seat left vacant by the Feb. 8 death of fellow Democrat John Murtha. A special election will be held, May 18, the same day as the primary election, to fill the remaining months of Murtha's term. An election for a fresh term will occur in November.

It seems a crusade is trying to be started to cut the size of the Pennsylvania state legislature to make it more like California, a significantly larger state in terms of geography and population which has 120 legislators compared to Pennsylvania's 253 and which spends less on legislative salaries than Pa. Of course, as poorly as Pennsylvania is run I'm not so sure we would want to trade places with the not-so-anymore Golden State. And why would we want to give up representation? It sounds more like a ploy to increase the influence of city machines, such as that of...

Important cogs of Congressman Joe Sestak’s (D-7) Senate campaign have come off the wheel. . . Political Director Rich Culbert and press operative Garry Ritterstein left soon after the Democratic State Committee, Feb. 7, endorsed Specter over Admiral Joe. Others who left were Jason Henry, who was effectively the campaign’s political director for western Pennsylvania who took his leave in mid-January and Andrew Blum of volunteer operations who left in late January.

The winner will proceed to face a Democrat in the special election; since the special election and the primary will take place on the same day, it is possible that two different Republicans could win - the special-election winner would serve out the remainder of Murtha’s term, and the primary winner would run in the general election in November. Barley notes that this has happened in lower-ticket races in the past, and the Hoffman experience opens the door for any Republican who’s passed over for the special-election ticket to denounce a "backroom deal." Sources close to the Russell campaign are...

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta who is seeking a rematch with Democratic incumbent Paul Kanjorski to represent the 11th District of Pennsylvania in Congress has endorsed Tom Corbett for governor. Corbett is getting a tenacious battle in the GOP primary from underdog Sam Rohrer, who represents the 128th District in the State House.

Former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey has opened up a 14-point lead among likely voters in his bid to deny U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter a sixth term, according to the latest Daily News/Franklin & Marshall Poll. Poll director G. Terry Madonna said that the results reflect a growing national Republican resurgence mixed with a lack of Democratic enthusiasm as the two parties battle over issues like health care and the economy.

One steps out, one steps in. Nine days after former Erie County Executive Rick Schenker announced that the was quitting the crowded race for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, Luzerne County Commissiner Stephen Anthony Urban took his seat at the table. Urban, 57, made his announcement Saturday. He is a retired U.S. Army ieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War.

Venture capitalist Steve Welch said an interview Thursday that he will remain in the GOP primary race for the 6th Congressional seat despite incumbent Jim Gerlach's late decision to seek re-election.