Dems Look at DiNicola to Take On Kelly

By Keegan Gibson, Managing Editor

Kevin Cuneo of the Erie Times News is reporting that Erie County Dems are looking at attorney and former congressional candidate Ron DiNicola to challenge freshman Rep. Mike Kelly.

“Erie Democrats want to put up a strong congressional candidate against Republican Mike Kelly in 2012, which is why people like Mayor Joe Sinnott and others are being approached. Another name that keeps cropping up is Erie lawyer Ron DiNicola.”

And if Muhammad Ali didn’t already have enough reasons to visit Erie, the boxing legend is a client of DiNicol’s and has campaigned for him in the past.

It would be an interesting sort of repeat for DiNicola, who challenged Republican congressman Phil English in 1996 when English was just a freshman himself. The GOP had just taken the House in the wave election of 1994, and this race was a major test of how vulnerable GOP freshmen would be after their party was blamed for the government shutdown in 1995. Sound familiar?

After out-spending DiNicola $1.2 million to $468,000 and highlighting the Democrat’s split residence in Erie and California, English pulled out a squeaker. Out of 210,000 votes cast in the Erie-based 21st district, English won by 3,750.

The Washington Post offers a detailed examination of that campaign, including outside spending, messaging fundraising and results, in this article.

But, as Cuneo notes, it would likely be a tougher race this time around. During redistricting this year, Republicans are likely to strengthen Kelly’s hold on the district by adding in all of Kelly’s home turf in heavily Republican Butler County.

Per their policy, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee did not comment on recruitment efforts in PA-3 beyond. DCCC spokesman Josh Schwerin had this to say about the seat.

“Representative Kelly has quickly built a partisan record that is out of touch with what his constituents need and want.  There is some real buyer’s remorse setting in and Representative Kelly will face a strong challenger in a very competitive race.”

7 Responses

  1. Ron,, Do you have a ticket to the Butlr Co Democratic Committee dinner for Thur Oct 6th 6 PM, held at the Conley golf and resort Inn , Route 8 south of Butler 8 miles on the right?????? I have your ticket. Kathy Dalhkamper is a speaker and a few others, including Randy Grossman ( the Steeler) and Randy Grossman, Doug Shields, Pgh Councilman. Will you be attending??? chas tanner butler dem committee. 724-283-5251

  2. DiNicola is a tried and true Democrat with an excellent background to unseat Republican Kelly who’s current partisan efforts are way out of touch with the modern day citizen of the 3rd District. If redistricting happens in favor of Kelly (which wouldn’t surprise anyone), it will make for a good fight. Ultimately though, DiNicola is a REAL PERSON who will ACT ON OUR BEHALF, as opposed to Kelly – who embodies everything that is wrong with politics & Washington today. I hope DiNicola takes the nod and runs because it would be good to have a level headed, intelligent human face on the 3rd District of PA. God Bless America.

  3. A progressive like DiNicola can and would win in the 3rd! We need a candidate that actually sounds like a Democrat to provide stark contrast between what the people of Western PA need like jobs, education, and healthcare and the do nothing right wing mindset of Mike Kelly!

  4. I still think he’s too liberal. In a pro-life district, he and his wife’s active pro-choice stance will never fly.

  5. Kelly is already vulnerable. he is towing the Tea Party line and is far more conservative than voters in western Pennsylvania will put up with. Erie voters knew Tom Ridge, and he is no Tom Ridge. He is party to the overreach of the new Republican majority, and will be held accountable for it in 2012.
    Dinicola would make an excellent candidate to unseat Kelly next year when unions,with their very existence under siege, will rise up like never before. DiNicola, a lawyer, spent the last two years successfully representing union workers at General Electric and they will have his back if he does run again.

  6. DiNicola is much too liberal for this district and he carries quite a lot of baggage. Sinnott is not even a contender, he likely could not even win his home base of Erie. If a Blue Dog conservative Dem like Dahlkemper can’t hold onto the conservative 3rd district what makes anyone think a progressive like DiNicola could win? It’s ridiculous and shows just how out of touch my democratic party is. They need to either run Dahlkemper again or some similar conservative Dem.

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