The Pa. Republican Party played their biggest card in the final days before the election: Tom Corbett. The Guv starred in a mail piece on behalf of the party’s endorsed candidates: Steve Welch for U.S. Senate, John Maher for Auditor General, Dave Freed for Attorney General and Diana Irey Vaughn for Treasurer. He also did a robocall for Welch specifically, according to a number of Republicans today.
That, plus their names on the ballot cards handed out by party workers at the ballots tomorrow (and the institutional advantage of PAGOP staff working the state on their behalf) are the primary benefits that the candidates will see.
Several Republicans said the PAGOP frequently send out a similar mailer along with an absentee ballot application. Not this year.
It was already enough for Freed, the Cumberland County District Attorney – the field was cleared for him in January. Likewise with Irey Vaughn for Treasurer.
According to second-hand reports of internal polling, it will also carry Maher, a state Rep. from Allegheny County, over the finish line. His opponent is former PA Community Bankers Assoc CEO Frank Pinto.
The campaigns are mostly focused on GOTV. Sam Rohrer for Senate is barnstorming around PA in his red truck, meeting with his army of grassroots supporters.
Tom Smith’s campaign noted this new web video from pundit and supporter Dick Morris.
“Tomorrow is primary day, and I want to urge you to vote for Tom Smith in the Republican primary,” Morris says. He says Smith has the best chance to beat Sen. Bob Casey and possibly give the GOP a supermajority.
Welch’s campaign is also focused on GOTV, but noted that Smith’s camp has been awfully punchy in the past week for a camp that publicizes internal polling showing him up by 24 points (the Morris video, a press release Friday, and continual attack ads).
Smith’s campaign is likely hoping to keep the pressure up so as to prevent Welch’s and other attacks from gaining traction.
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13 Responses
After Sam Rohrer won his first general election in 1992, the Reading Eagle / Times reported that Rohrer was unemployed. Rohrer revealed that he accepted a furlough from his employer to save a job for another individual. Nice guy and real convenient at the time since Rohrer was already running for the State House. I have always wondered if Rohrer collected un-employment compensation while he was campaigning. Doesn’t seem like he was available or looking for work at the time.
Sam Rohrer voted for the pension and salary increases in 2001 and 2005 respectively.. Sam Rohrer told the Reading newspapers that he voted for the pension increase in 2001 because it would not “cost the taxpayers a dime”. He is doing very well with that pension after only 18 years of State service. There are thousands of low level front line State retirees with many more years of service receiving a lot less.
When Sam Rohrer ran for re-election for the first time, confidential sealed information was obtained from another state and used against his primary opponent, the son of the previous, now late, former State Rep. According to the Reading newspapers, this information could only have been available through law enforcement channels. Rohrer denied knowing anything about it. At that time his campaign was bankrolled in part by a PAC funded by his former employer and managed by the individual who now occupies Rohrer’s old 128th District seat.
Another time when expensive State paid car leases were under scrutiny, Sam Rohrer justified an expensive SUV lease in the Reading newspapers by saying that his wife might “need to drive it down the road”.
At a Berks County Farm Bureau candidates forum held during Rohrer’s last campaign for State House, Sam Rohrer answered the question if he would be willing to pay for part of his premium State paid health insurnace plan by saying, ” I pay co-payments”. Every other candidate present answered that they would pay for it except him. After Rohrer left the State House, the Reps.have begun to pay 1% of their saIaries which is much less than the typical front line State employee.
I could go on, but this is my point: Sam Rohrer, the champion of small government, never had a problem taking advantage of big govenrment perks for his own personal benefit. Pennsylvanians do not need a back bencher who accomplished nothing legislatively in 18 years except collect a pay check and great perks.
I will be looking forward to him losing tonight. He might just become the next Republican Harold Stassen.
Corbett’s approval rating is 30%. He is the last person I’d want endorsing me. If you look at the candidates, which one do they fear the most? Well, who was the only one to have their petitions challenged, who do they know they can’t control, who actually worked with President Reagan, who is the only veteran in the race and who is the only person with 7 purple hearts, a bronze star, 2 silver stars distinguished service medal and was nominated for the congressional medal TWICE!? Who is the only candidate who has already bled for his country and is willing to put himself in harms way again? His name is David Christian. To send one of two former democrats or a guy who spent 18 years in office without passing a single bill and who voted for his own pay raise and pension increase to Washington instead of David Christian, simply meas the democrats win again and Obama gets re-elected and the voters and taxpayers of Pennsylvania get screwed again.. Wake up folks and get past the advertising bullshit. You really only have one chance and one choice, David Christian,
Today is a referendum on the endorsement process.
Defeat it today.
Corbett ruined any credibility he had left in pushing Welsh. He was simply doing the dirty work of others who wanted to be rid of John Rafferty for AG and the trick was to appease the SE by putting someone, anyone, on the ticket except Rafferty. Corbett has bought into the notion that a SE Republican is a bad thing. So put up a loser like Welsh, and there is no chance he makes it to the fall. Can’t have anyone in GOP circles important from the SE except the Candyman.
Sam Rohrer, OUR next US Senator!! People and Principles above Party!! It’s about time that we’ll be represented as we deserve. No more members of the millionaire club who can’t wait to see how much money the lobbyists have to offer. Sam has stood up to special interests for many years, and i have no doubt he’ll do the same in the US Senate. GO SAM GO!!!
Look, Steve Welch seems to be a decent guy and were it not for this ridiculous endorsement process, a lot of people would have given him a better look.
But that’s not what happened. And tomorrow night, Governor Corbett and Bob Gleason will have egg on their faces. At this point, Welch has become a symbol of the establishment’s cluelessness.
If i were running for delegate or state legislature, I’d think twice about sharing my name on a sample ballot with someone who would cost me votes.
Good luck to all.
I got the “call” and mail from Governor Corbutt. Do they (the party hack RINOs) actually think that any real Republican is going to vote for some Sestak-and-Obama-supporting dweeb because the Governor said so? What good has the Governor done in that office? What good did he do as AG? Nothing. He is a political hack with mediocre abilities and intelligence and he doesn’t believe in anything beyond feathering his nest and that of his backers.
I am surprised that the Governor and the weak-kneed state committee that he pushed around are not supporting goofy Patrick Murphy for attorney general. He is a Democrat (like Welch) and just as unintelligent and unaccomplished as they are. A political hack with no other discernable skills –just like them.
I look forward to the RINO establishment ending up with egg on their face and pee in their pants tomorrow when the people reject their puppet, Mr. Welch.
All candidate preferences aside (Go Sam, hehe), I’m guessing that most if not all of us are looking forward to a non-endorsed candidate winning the Senate race tomorrow! It’s about time!
Obama Welch clings to a snowstorm as if it were a life preserver
Well – ice does float until it melts
Welch prays for Santa in a sleigh on the ground in April – please please Santa
But Santa is at home on the North Pole and Corbett’s magic reindeer are probably voting for Smith or Rohrer or Christian or Scaringi but not for Obama Welch If not they are hiding lest Corbett scold them for forcing him to go for Obama Welch – Donner & Blitzen are you around? Or should we refer to you as the two shortest of the seven dwarfs! –
To – Steve Welch – the western folks know how to drive in snow and would crawl miles on their bellies to vote against Obama & Sestak and Steve Welch!
I received a call from PA GOP tonight for a donation and told them no due to their endorsement of Welch Both he and Smith are horrible. Both say the other isnt a true Republican or Conservative. Tell ya what….Sam Rohrer is and has the voting record to prove it. Rohrer had the backing of many grass root R’s and we will be working the polls. I was all over Chester County this weekend and not 1 Welch sign. Rohrer signs are all over and I know at least 6 Commitee people that are going to be handing his lit out at polls.
Corbett a big card? I guess out must be a deck with the Joker still in it.
Seriously…our own Republican Party is spending money to defeat OTHER Republicans. They chose a U.S. Senate candidate that has NO experience, VOTED for OBAMA and is NOT really PRO-LIFE. Great choice Corbett…setting yourself up to eat your crow tomorrow night after the results come in. The TRUE Republicans of the Commonwealth are looking forward to that moment tomorrow night.
All for an “open primary”, stand up!!!