By Keegan Gibson, Managing Editor
Former Congressman Pat Murphy will announce today that he is running for Attorney General in 2012.
12:15pm Update: Read Murphy’s full list of endorsements below.
According to high-level Democratic sources, including several close to the campaign, Murphy will make his bid official later today. He has reportedly lined up significant support among elected officials, labor groups, and Democratic party leaders.
Allegheny County Executive and former gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato reportedly will endorse Murphy. So too will several of Murphy’s former colleagues in the Congressional delegation, including Reps. Chaka Fattah and Tim Holden.
Wendell Young IV, president of the politically active UFCW 1776, confirmed that his union was endorsing Murphy.
The full list of known endorsements is below.
The decision comes after several months of speculation about Murphy’s next move, during which the Congressman has remained politically active throughout the state. Rumors began almost immediately after his 2010 loss to Mike Fitzpatrick that Murphy was looking at a run for AG.
Two other Democrats have so far announced for AG: Dan McCaffery, who finished second to Seth Williams in Philadelphia’s 2009 District Attorney race; and Kathleen Granahan Kane, a northeast PA prosecutor. Former Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham has also said she is considering a run.
Several Democratic operatives laid out the strong case for Murphy in a primary; three factors that they think will ultimately leave him a clear path to the nomination.
They say he will present a strong show of support during his announcement. He’s shown that he’s a talented fundraiser (over $11 million during his three congressional campaigns), and an early look at his endorsers suggests he will have the backing of former Governor Ed Rendell’s money machine. Finally, his high-profile sponsorship of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell won him a strong following among progressive Democrats.
Democrats will certainly need a tough candidate if they’re to have a shot next year. Since it became an elected position in 1980, no Dem has ever served as Attorney General. Even in 2008 when Obama won Pennsylvania by over ten points, Tom Corbett was re-elected by a near seven point margin.
As far as legal bona fides, Murphy taught law at West Point, served as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and prosecuted accused terrorists while serving in Iraq. He was elected to Congress in 2006, defeating Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick.
In January, after losing to Fitzpatrick by seven points, Murphy joined Philly-area law firm Fox-Rothschild. He also teaches at Widener Law.
Endorsements for Murphy for Attorney General, from the campaign.
Elected officials:
Chaka Fattah, U.S. Rep.
Tim Holden, U.S. Rep.
Jason Altmire, U.S. Rep.
Ron Klink, Former U.S. Rep.
Kathy Dahlkemper, Former U.S. Rep.
Dan Onorato, Allegheny County Executive
Daylin Leach, State Senator
Chelsa Wagner, State Rep.
Dan Frankel, State Rep.
Tony Payton, State Rep.
Josh Shapiro, State Rep.
John Galloway, State Rep.
Mike Carroll, State. Rep.
Tina Davis, State Rep.
Steve Santarsiero, State Rep.
Tom Leighton, Wilkes-Barre Mayor
Brad Koplinski, Harrisburg City Council
J. Richard Gray, Lancaster Mayor
Mark McCracken, Clearfield County Commissioner
Connie Kough Pittenger, Huntingdon County Commissioner
Rick Vilello, Mayor of Lock Haven
Democratic Party Leaders:
TJ Rooney, Former Chair, PA Dems
John Cordisco, Chair, Bucks County
Marcel Groen, Chair, Montgomery County
Greg Stewart, Chair, Centre County
Chris Tarsa, Chair, Lebanon County
Susan Hartman, Chair, Huntingdon County
Roger Lund, Chair, Adams County and State Committee South Central Caucus Chair
Frank Rosenhoover, Chair, Blair County
Greg Specht, Acting Chair, Juniata County
Bob Kefauver, Chair, York County
Don Hilliard, Chair, Jefferson County
Rick Thomas, Chair, Union County
Jessie Bloom, Chair, Lycoming County
Larry Kriess, Chair, Butler County
Rick Daugherty, Chair, Lehigh County
Sally Lyall, Chair, Lancaster County
Labor Unions:
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776
PA Conference of Teamsters
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America
Sprinkler Fitters Local 692
Plumbers Union Local 690
Ironworkers Local 401
Boilermakers Local 13
Boilermakers Local 19
American Postal Workers Union Local 7048
Communications Workers of American Local 13000
Steamfitters’ Local Union 420
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17 Responses
Janice -you’re scaring ex congressman Murphy! Be nice.
If it will keep Murphy out of congress I am for it!
This site is really a walk-by means of for the entire data you wished about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and you’ll positively uncover it. copie Sac
Wow Pat!! They are really chewing you apart. What are you going to do to turn this venom to honey?
I for one supported your 1st & 2nd campaign. The 1st as a free shooter (photography), sending copies to any supporter who provide me their email. The 1000’s of shots I freely gave to that Logistics Jerkoff, Dan De-Whatsizname, never published; not a one!!. – talking about a snotty prat only interested in climbing the political ladder->
All I asked for was to publish some shots and credit my name but Noooo. Too bad, too many of those plucky campaign organizers have their heads up their ass.
So, on a phone conversation at the campaign office, I over-heard another dim-wit take a call and say “I don’t know” to one of your supporters, about whether the Bristol event hosting President Bill Clinton would have interpreters (“Terp”) for the Deaf.
“I don’t know” don’t cut it, having personally studied ASL for my degree in Social Psych..so I took the ball from Phil Lorenzon and within 24 hours placed 2 professional Terps on stage, in Bristol, in exchange for my shooting photos of them in action.
-Saving Face for Murphy ’06, Creating a Social Statement, Saving a would-be-cost of about $4000.
Did I ever get recognition? How about a some recognition?? No Wait!
How about the funding I have been trying to ask of you? The funding to build an Inter-Generational Recreation Center, Skateboard Park, and to bring back the dissolved Morrisville Swim Team and the Morrisville Community Pool to Willaimson Park where we first met?
The community pool now lays in ruin, a local Eye-sore due to the ’04-’06 floods.
How about getting me past those snotty brats who sit at desks in Murphy offices and show some tangible appreciation?
How about that Pat? Fundraiser, We need Funds!
J M.O’Reilly 2011
http://jmorstudio.sharemyartwork.com/portfolio/6
Happy Trails!
Patrick Murphy ran his 2006 congressional campaign on the anti-war theme. This was the major campaign theme of his party. So the dems could get votes, the mission in Iraq had to fail and our veterans written off. Just like Vietnam. He then ran his 2010 campaign on a theme that he and his dems are patriotic and tough on national security.
Almost forgot…. I see two pluses for Murphy. One: He won’t have to suffer the humiliation of losing to Mike Fitzpatrick again. Two: He can ride the coat tail of Barack Hussain Obama. “Mmm, mmm, mmm.”
If Murphy loses his bid for AG in 2012, will he run like Peter Kostmeyer did when he lost a few years back? Another Democrat comes to mind that bailed after his loss of an election. State Rep Chris King. He lost his first re-election bid and vacated his office that same week while continuing to collect his paycheck right up to the end of his term. Taxation without representation. Good work, Lefties. No different from Osama Obama. BTW, Kostmeyer and King were not Bucks County residents. Again, kinda like Osama Obama. It was a front. They were both imported because the Bucks County Democratic Committee couldn’t get anybody local to put on the ballot. Kostmeyer is from New York and King is from Harrisburg. Both returned home with their tails between their legs.
What is it going to take to make this Obama supporting liberal go away? This lawyer is another career politician who wants back on the gravy train so he can eventually run for governor. Check out his voting record in Congress – it sucks!
The only reason Patrick Muprhy is running for office is because he has no other job options. When you sit at a desk in the army for a few years, you dont come out with the skills to be an AG nor a congressman for that matter. The guy has as much backbone as a wet paperbag. He sided with Obama 100% of the time in congress. Look at this list of endorsements. It reads like a mafia crime family.
PA needs a Democrat AG who won’t run for Governor by using a bogus political prosecution that apparently did not apply to the other side of the aisle.
Patrick Murphy is a liberal political hack. The last thing the people of Pennsylvania want as Attorney General is a guy with all those political endorsements. It is time for a real prosecutor, not a career politician as PA chief law enforcement officer. If Murphy was SO committed to running as AG, why was he running for Congress this time last year? When he loses this election, wait a few months and you will see him running again for something else.
Rep. Murphy stood by his guns in his final term in Congress, and unfortunately the political tides gave him no chance of re-election. I have tremendous respect for his willingness to sacrifice elected office in the name of doing what was right for the country.
For such a young guy, he has a very unique legal resume that should prove to be an asset in the Attorney General’s office.
This really is great news. For the first time in years, Democrats can be competitive in the AG race. Rep. Murphy served our country with honor and distinction for years in the Army, and did a fine job in Congress. Unfortunately, no Dem had a chance in the 8th district race in 2010.
Good Luck Pat!
Isn’t this the same guy whose campaign had all the absentee ballots sent to a campaign PO box rather than the voter registration office? Yeah, real ethical guy…you gotta be kidding me that he is running for AG. What a joke.
“$11 million….big fundraiser….endorsed by Rendell, Josh Shapiro, Fattah, TJ Rooney…” and, of course, (bought and paid for) by the unions. These are all facts that would convince any law-abiding, patriotic American living in PA to NOT vote for Murphy.
He has proven himself to be a hand-selected puppet of the DNC/unions. Americans no longer have tolerance to support those with an insatiable desire for power and a sense of entitlement that leads them to believe we, the taxpayers, are responsible for providing for them ad infinitum.
Attorney General is the last position on earth a person owned and beholden to the unions should ever hold.
@ alex
Thankfully this just means he can’t run again in Bucks.
This “article” reads like a Murphy press release! But let’s face it, Murphy was the “accidental Congressman”. He barely won in the Democratic wave of 06, and then was thumped by almost 10 points last year. The fact that other Dem congressmen could survive the wave, like Holden, Altimire, Critz, while Murphy got shellacked just shows his lack of ability.
Murphy’s biggest problem is that he’s too liberal to be a good statewide candidate in the general. If the voters in Bucks County thought he was too liberal, then he’s definitely too liberal for PA!