The race for Pennsylvania’s sixth Congressional district was turned on its head with Rep. Jim Gerlach’s decision to seek reelection. Thanks to the turmoil, a candidate once backed by the Republican establishment is reaching out to the tea party movement.

PA-06 sparked our interest last week as several GOP contenders sought to identify with tea partiers and portrayed businessman Steve Welch as the National Republican Congressional Committee favorite.

But when Gerlach ended his gubernatorial bidand said he wants to keep his seat, the NRCC decided it had to support one of the Republican party’s leaders, leaving Welch in the cold.

State Rep. Curt Schroeder, the candidate who seemed to reach out most to the tea partiers ended his bid last night and Welch is charging ahead, with a top aide wanting us to know Welch likes the tea party, too.

An NRCC aide told TPMDC this morning the committee supports all members of the House Republican Conference and reiterated they don’t want to get involved in GOP primaries.

NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) issued a statement last week welcoming Gerlach back to the race, saying his decision was “evidence” that he shares the minority party’s goal of winning back control of the House.

Sessions recruited Welch to run and elevated him to the NRCC’s “Young Guns” program, which still featuresWelch’s Web site despite the withdrawn support.

Meanwhile, Schroder told supporters last night he’s out, calling it a “bitter disappointment.”

Schroder said his fundraising was strong and he was about to receive an endorsement from the Chester County Republican Committee but that Gerlach’s reentry was a “new and potentially insurmountable obstacle.”

Read the full TPM article here

Tags: Jim Gerlach, Steve Welch

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