Labor magnate AFL-CIO endorsed Erin McClelland over John Hugya in the Democratic primary for PA-12.
“The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO is proud to support Erin McCelland to be the next representative of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional district,” said President Rick Bloomingdale. “Ms. McClelland has the vision and the drive to get things done in Congress that will bring jobs back to Pennsylvania and improve the lives of workers and their families.”
“I could not be more honored to have the support of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO for my campaign to bring real family values back to Congress,” said McClelland after receiving the endorsement. “My great-grandfather organized for CIO in response to poor working conditions at Pittsburgh Plate & Glass, and it’s an unbelievable honor to carry on the family tradition of fighting for working families.”
McClelland’s campaign has scored a host of endorsements in her first run for public office, including Women’s Campaign Fund, IBEW Local 5, IBEW Local 29, USW Local 1196, the Allegheny County Labor Council, the Beaver County Labor Council, and the Allegheny, Beaver, Cambria, and Westmoreland County Democratic Committees and Auditor General Eugene DePasquale.
Her opponent, John Hugya, was a former Chief of Staff to Congressman John Murtha, who represented the district before Mark Critz. Critz was defeated by Rep. Keith Rothfus, following a redistricting that was highly advantageous to Republicans.
A Democrat winning the seat is an uphill battle, particularly given the state of the money race after the first quarter of the year. Rothfus raised $241,253 and spent $93,793. Adding insult to injury for his opponents, the Republican has $1,019,907 cash on hand. McClelland doesn’t quite manage to come close to Rothfus. She has $58,117 raised, $47,145.54 spent and $31,619.29 cash on hand. Hugya brings up the rear with $19,730 raised, $24,285 spent and $20,441.45 cash on hand.
7 Responses
They all say that to get voted in. I have no use for any of those running. Politics in America today is a joke. Weasels guarding the hen house.
Erin McClelland has worked hard and is more than deserving of the Democratic nomination, and to be sent to Washington as our representative.
Keith Rothfus like to call us his employers. However, his actions and all the awards he gets from lobbyists show that his real employers are the corporate interests he really represents.
Erin McClelland would really treat the people of our district as her employers, and would be a great representative of our interests in Washington.
Larry Stiles took that straight from John Hugya’s Facebook posting. The part about the left and right ‘getting you into trouble’. What Larry and John don’t realize is that ‘The Middle isn’t going to give you a Middle’. Only ‘The Left’ can give you ‘A Middle’. We haven’t had a true ‘Left’ pulling the other way hard enough for a long time. That’s why you live a Center-Right country as you do. Furthermore…John Hugya is a military hawk. He brags about going to N.R.A. meetings. Screw that! The working poor don’t give a crap about that or women’s groups or anyone else. What does a guy who’s getting ready to turn 80 years old expect to accomplish in Washington? Shouldn’t this guy be laying on a beach somewhere in Florida? I mean really? He’s barely to the left of Rothfus as is the other candidate from what I understand. The District 12 race is a joke. I can’t believe that no one else is showing up to take on this teabagger. It truly amazes me how Western Pennsylvania continues to take a hard right turn.
Judging by the overwhelming endorsements by Erin and the lack thereof by Hugya he should withdraw from the race and work towards the good of the Democratic Partu.
@Larry Stiles
She’s not a big money candidate–she has no money.
And where is Rothfus’ money coming from? Is the letter “K” involved?
John Hugya is for you the voters of Western Pa, not Wall Street, not Washington eite Republican interest, ideologies and not big money interest. Col. Hugya needs no training. Mr. Rothfus New Leadership Is Coming! – John Hugya for Congress.
Ideologies either on the right or on the left get this country in trouble. ….President Bill Clenton.