5/16 Ups & Downs

Polls, endorsements and media buys run this list as the last days before the primary wind down. See who all made the list.

Up ArrowTom Wolf. Polls from Franklin & Marshall and Harper both reinstated Wolf’s frontrunner status and showed him with a nearly insurmountable lead just days before the primary election. He led by double digits in each poll, with margins consistent across demographic and geographic crosstabs. Despite all of the negative advertising and campaigning that has been waged against him, his favorability ratings increased and according to F&M, those who support him are solid in their support. In addition to the positive polling, Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) and former Governor Mark Singel both endorsed Wolf this week.

Down ArrowMark Critz. This was a tough week for the former Congressman. He gained just two points in the newest poll for the Lt. Gov. race and was still in second place after big-name competitor Jay Paterno dropped out of the race. He had to cancel a $183,000 media buy for reasons still unknown and three progressive organizations have joined together in a triple anti endorsement to keep Critz off of the Democratic ticket in the fall.

Up ArrowMike Stack. In the newest Harper Poll, Stack made the largest gains and now leads the pack with 20%, though his closest challenger, Mark Critz, is a mere two points behind him. However, Stack is in the midst of a major ad buy with decent saturation across several markets that he will continue through election day. It will be tough to combat him on the airwaves as no other candidate can afford to get close to the size of his buy. And not only is he winning in polling and in airtime, he also unveiled oodles of endorsements: 72 labor endorsements, to be exact.

Down ArrowKevin Strouse. Strouse, who hopes to face Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) in the fall, waltzed into a bit of an embarrassing issue this week when a long article in The Philadelphia Inquirer revealed a circle of parental donations to congressional candidates across the country. In congressional races, individuals are not able to contribute more than $2,600 for each the primary and general, maxing out at $5,200 each, or $10,400 per couple. Strouse’s parents appear to have consorted with three other sets of wealthy parents with children running for Congress to sort of skirt this rule. Each set of parents have $10,400 to the children of the other parents in exchange for $10,400 to their own child. While this is not illegal, it certainly doesn’t look good, nor does it portray Strouse as the everyman running for office. Adding insult to injury, Former Governor Ed Rendell endorsed Shaughnessy Naughton in her primary battle against Kevin Strouse.

Up ArrowValerie Arkoosh. The first time candidate in the field for PA-13 won a handful of important endorsements this week, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Tribune and AFSCME District Council 47. Each major endorsement is a coup for Arkoosh who is battling against three better-known competitors to win the Democratic nomination in the congressional district from which Allyson Schwartz is retiring.

Tweet of the week goes to North Side Leadership Conference of Pittsburgh for succinctly capturing the thoughts of all Western Pennsylvanians.

16 Responses

  1. @ DD:

    You continue to evade my question regarding your self-proclaimed prediction-potential; although you wrote a comment here on Friday-a.m., you failed to reply to my earlier query on Thursday-p.m.; thus, it is restated here, along with the hyperlink to the original website…for your convenience.

    *

    Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D. on May 15, 2014 at 10:30 pm said:
    @ DD:

    I’m shocked that your response to my request for a prediction [you have mine, and don’t appear to dispute it] was merely a balanced recitation of obvious info; have you no ability to think independently? … to process the data … to draw upon your knowledge, training, experience?

    *

    politicspa.com: pa-13-candidates-go-all-out-in-heated-final-debate/57934/

  2. It is instructive that Hilday has pointed out that the Democratic President has explicitly defended and celebrated his violations of the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Amendments to the Constitution. The non prosecution of bankers, profiteers and war criminals would just be dereliction of duty. It is also instructive that President Bush violated the same provisions of the Constitution and is, in fact, one of the war criminals that Obama should have prosecuted. When neither party will defend the Constitutional protections of citizens as against government power, then you have no longer a government but a looting cabal.

  3. The rise in inequality over the last decade has become the most important political issue of our time and the party of the working man – the base voters of the democratic party – are picking among four members of the one percent. Even McDonald’s let’s you have a choice of salad or chicken or fish besides the hamburger.

  4. Mr Critz has a strong record on the key achievements of the Obama Administration. Like our President, he supported violent suppression of people assembling peacefully to petition their government for redress of grievances: the search and seizure of people’s papers and effects without a warrant; the killing of citizens without a trial of their peers let alone an indictment; the prosecution of whistleblowers and infringing on the freedom of the press; the ongoing murder by drones of citizens of nations where there has been no declaration of war; indefinite detention of people with no ability to have their freedom litigated; the non prosecution of admitted torturers, officials who committed war crimes and war profiteers. These are the accomplishments of this Democratic President and Mr Critz stood shoulder to shoulder with President Obama to make them happen.

  5. Maybe Critz would do better in a democratic primary if he was actually a democrat. Just a thought.

  6. Mike Stack stealing tax dollars and voting for pay raises in the middle of the night. Don’t ruin the democratic ticket with pay-jacking Stack. Vote for anyone else but him!!!

  7. As far as I know, the only PA newspaper that has endorsed McCord is the Philadelphia Inquirer.

    As far as I know, no PA newspaper has endorsed Schwartz.

  8. We consultants, lobbyists and cronies of the political class on the democratic side cannot take four more years of this 40/60 split! We want the 60/40 split we used to have before the consultants, lobbyists and cronies of the political class on the republican side took it away!

  9. How about a fact checker on this site!! Michael Stack did NOT vote for the pension increase. Suck it up Western Pa were taking the whole ball of Wax. The southeast pays for everything in this state we shud be represented accordingly. DUH. If your a wing nut vote for McCord Critz. Otherwise vote Wolf Stack. Vote like a soldier or get out of the way of true Progress. We can’t do 4 more years of Corbett

  10. Mike Stack voted for the 50% pension increase for state legislators, which is the reason we now have a massive pension problem in the Commonwealth, and the midnight pay raise. Why in the hell would anyone want this fool dragging down the Dem ticket in the fall?
    Vote for anyone but Stack!

  11. mike stack from east, tom wolf from east =defeat.plus stack spends taxpayers money like a drunken sailor.

  12. Your honor, I object to the down arrow for Mr. Critz. The cancellation of a media buy is hearsay and inadmissable. The anti-endorsement is irrelevant to this case since those groups always opposed a positive person like Mr Fritz. That leaves his two point surge in the polls based on his pro life, pro gun, pro traditional marriage, pro traditional gender roles, and pro fracking positions. Mr. Critz represents a bridge to the past of the great Democratic party.

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  • Will tonight's U.S. Senate debate affect your decision?


    • No. I've already decided on how to cast my vote. (81%)
    • Yes. Anxious to hear from both candidates (19%)

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