Ads, endorsements and a petition challenge highlight this week’s list; plus, a special finish in the race for Tweet of the Week. See who all made this week’s list.
Bob Guzzardi. Against all odds, Guzzardi won the petition challenge against him and will be on the Republican ballot for Governor on May 20th, pending an appeal decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. His challenge was waged and funded with the assistance of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. More on that later.
Art Halvorson. The Tea Party challenger was immensely outraised by the incumbent he hopes to oust, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Blair) and is unable to keep up on the airwaves. Shuster launched yet another negative ad attacking Halvorson and questioning his prized conservative credentials.
Ryan Costello. The Chester County Commissioner not only outraised his Democratic opponent almost 3 to 1, he’s been upgraded in priority by the NRCC. He’s now a “Contender” in the NRCC’s “Young Guns” program. The Young Guns were formed in 2007 by the powerful triumvirate of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and Budget Chairman and 2012 Vice-Presidential nominee Paul Ryan.
Tom Wolf. Gubernatorial frontrunner Tom Wolf posted a strong week of endorsements, but we’ve reached the point in the race where he’s regularly under attack. Rep. Allyson Schwartz’s campaign has not yet given up their quest for full disclosure of all documents related to the loan he took to partially finance his campaign, and this week, State Treasurer Rob McCord took a shot at Wolf in his latest ad. The spot compares McCord’s 10% extraction tax to Wolf’s 5% proposal and concludes that McCord’s is better for the people of Pennsylvania.
Valerie Arkoosh. It would be hard to tell that her run for the 13th Congressional District is her first quest for public office; Arkoosh is doing that well. This week she posted another strong quarter of fundraising and still leads the Democratic pack in cash on hand, and her campaign revealed that they have already spent $400,000 buying up critical television ad space in the week before the primary election, May 12 to 19.
PA GOP. While the petition challenge against Guzzardi was brought by four regular voters from the state, the Pennsylvania Republican Party backed the challenge and financed it. The loss was a hit to the establishment and now that they have decided to appeal the decision, they are throwing even more time, money and attention into Guzzardi.
Brandon Neuman. This State Rep. already had a geographic advantage in the race for lieutenant governor as one of just two candidates from Western PA and he expanded this geographic edge with a slew of endorsements from Erie this week. His new supporters include: PA lawmakers Reps. Ryan Bizzarro of Millcreek, Patrick Harkins of Erie, and Flo Fabrizio, also of Erie, Erie City Councilman Bob Merski, Erie County Councilmen Jay Breneman, Phil Fatica and Andre Horton, and former Erie County Councilwoman Joy Greco, who is also an elected Millcreek Township auditor.
This week yielded unparalleled nominations and contenders for Tweet of the Week, so, this week only, we present Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.
Bronze: Congressman Pat Meehan takes a free coffee break back home in the district. Insert joke about gift bans and/or Congress needing a pay raise so Meehan can just buy his coffee at WaWa.
Just got my free @Wawa coffee in honor of #Wawa50th anniversary in #Delco pic.twitter.com/Vw5LFrhHLP
— Patrick Meehan (@RepMeehan) April 16, 2014
Silver: Twitter is an awesome tool for park-shaming public officials.
Yes, you’re a Pennsylvania State Senator. But must you park your Caddy in the crosswalk? (cc: @kheller) pic.twitter.com/JzflvVD32F
— Matt Katz (@mattkatz00) April 16, 2014
Gold:
Its being reported that @RepBillShuster campaign manager Sean Joyce is in a tree stand outside the @ArtHalvorson home using a camcorder #PA9
— RemoveBillShuster (@RemoveShuster) April 16, 2014
13 Responses
Thanks, Robert. I’ll sleep better knowing one of the candidates for the PA Governor is a foreign-policy hawk.
Shuster is exactly what’s wrong with our government he’s a politician in the worst sense! He’s district is a land of hopelessness because guys like him that just care about being in office not fixing what is wrong!
I will be voting for Bob Guzzardi in the primary. Should he win, he will continue to get my support in the General. He is the only republican who can win in fall, and be is the better choice in the primary, better than the democrats, and possibly the best choice on the ballot (pending any independents and 3rd party candidates who may or may-not mobilize a serious challenge and also get on the ballot)
Like Bob Guzzardi I have backed some politicians against the republican establishment, that i now regret. Just none of them were liberal democrats… But sometimes if the job is done fair, right, and honestly it doesn’t matter the party registration, but the moral and leadership of the individual to perform the tasks of the job.
( yeah right… i know) But as they said in my state university, 90% of politics is party registration.
Am I assuming too much to think that the Cadillac parked in the crosswalk belongs to Anthony Williams, the Senator from the 8th District?
DR.Bob, without social issues we have NOTHING…..
Mr. Guzzardi has scored a victory for all people who wish to overthrow the careerist cronies mooching from the working people in order to help their wealthy friends who drain our future. Neither party serves the people and none of the other candidates will challenge the status quo. Mr Guzzardi is alone among the candidates for Governor in his contempt for this rotten status quo and all Pennsylvanians should don the armor of contempt to fight these cronies. “It is not light that we need, but fire; not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind and the earthquake.”
@KingofSpades
Art Halvorson is definitely going to be the next congressman from 9th district of Neverland & if you want to get him to congress just go to the Second star to the right and straight on till morning
@ Lariat:
Even if you were correct [which you aren’t, because Guzzardi is pro-Life and is awaiting arrival of more data regarding AG-Kane], you focus solely on social-issues; Guzzardi is a fiscal conservative and a foreign-policy hawk.
@ Scott:
I know KK, and there are many deficiencies in both the generic Libertarian Party [in terms of credibility] and the specific stances he has adopted [in terms of the PA Constitution].
Why vote for Guzzardi when you can vote for Krawchuck, and not get a Republican’t?
Guzzardi is a liberal. He loves pro abortion, pro gay marriage, horse teeth Kane.
Paindy is right! What kind of people are we anyhow? The swamps of Harrisburg give forth the foul stench of cronyism as both parties bow and scrape to the masters who feast at the trough of taxpayer money. And a man has arisen to challenge the status quo and deliver us from these evils. “There is this consideration, that if the abuse be numerous, nature will rise up, and claiming her original rights, overturn a corrupt political system.”
Team Corbett is running so scared they have dredged up an endorsement from Michael Reagan! Team corbett, our Dark Prince Brabender nor the PAGOP cannot stop Bob Guzzardi’s rendezvous with destiny!!! He embodies the Reagan legacy not 4 more years of political necrophilia!!!
Art Halvorson is winning this race, money or not. Shuister is desperately trying to deflect the attention away from his own record by burying the district in negative mailers and TV ads. Fortunately, it isn’t working. More and more people here are coming to realize that Shuster is a slimy career politician who has been in office for far too long, and he’s willing to spend six figures lying to the district to do it.