By Alex Roarty
PoliticsPA Staff Writer
roarty@politicspa.com
Although some insiders have taken the view the Democratic race to replace John Murtha is a two-person contest between Barbara Hafer and Mark Critz, a third candidate running in the 12th District said Monday his campaign has just as good a chance to win the party’s nomination.
“Our campaign is full speed ahead,” Ed Cernic Jr. told PoliticsPA during an interview Monday. “We are gaining support daily.”
The Cambria County controller, who some have thought would drop out of the race, said he “absolutely” would not end his campaign.
One hundred delegates from across the 12th District will convene Saturday in Delmont for a straw poll vote to recommend which Democrat be placed on the May 18 special election ballot. Two days later, the state’s 50-member executive committee will officially select one of the candidates.
Cernic said he has strong support in Cambria County, where he served as a member of the local Democratic Party’s executive committee until declaring his interest in the congressional seat. He also received the endorsement of Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Ceraso, a former candidate for the position whose home county is the largest in the 12th District.
The controller said his “pro-family-values” platform, which includes an anti-abortion-rights and pro-gun stance, makes him attractive in the culturally conservative region.
“I’m not what they call a liberal candidate. I believe our party has gotten away from its roots,” he said, adding that he would be a needed fresh face in Washington.
Cernic faces a tough battle against Hafer, a former Republican and two-time statewide officeholder, and Critz, Murtha’s former district director. Critz has also received the support of Murtha’s widow, Joyce, and former Lieutenant Governor candidate Mark Singel.
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