By Alex Roarty
PoliticsPA Staff Writer
roarty@politicspa.com
Republican Steve Welch’s congressional campaign gave another indication Friday that it might challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach in a primary, issuing a press release that said it received 40 percent of the votes during a local GOP straw poll Thursday night.
The release said the results “stunned” observers.
Welch has not publicly announced whether he will stay in the 6th Congressional District race to face Gerlach in a Republican primary, although a decision is expected soon. Gerlach stunned observers last week when he dropped his gubernatorial bid and re-entered the 6th District race.
Other high-profile GOP candidates in the race, such as state Rep. Curt Schroder and former Revenue Secretary Howard Cohen, ended their campaigns soon after Gerlach’s re-entry. But Welch indicated he might stay in the race and has since continued to run his campaign.
The businessman has seemingly tried to brandish his conservative credentials, reportedly courting Tea Party activists and others who might not be satisfied with Gerlach, the pick of the GOP establishment. He has also signed a petition to repeal health care reform if it is signed into law.
“I have always said that this campaign is about engaging voters and sharing our ideas about how we can turn around this economy,” Welch said in a statement. “We are beginning to see that our message is resonating with local leaders, activists and concerned families, and momentum continues to build. It was an honor to share my vision with local Republican leaders, and I look forward to additional opportunities to discuss my campaign.”
Welch also revealed this week his campaign has about $650,000 on hand, much of it from the candidate’s personal fortune.
Thought I saw something on the web where Mr. Welch has changed his party affiliation more than once