PoliticsPA readers said Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Blair) is the Republican congressman most vulnerable to a primary challenge.
Shuster took 233 of the 763 votes cast (31%).
The results were likely impacted by the fact that Shuster is the only incumbent with a bona fide challenger.
Businessman Art Halvorson declared his bid in May and has $126,000 cash on hand. PoliticsPA received a forwarded email from his campaign encouraging supporters to vote in the poll.
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny) finished second with 87 votes. He easily overcame a primary challenge in 2012.
Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-Allegheny) finished third with 86 votes. He has a longshot GOP challenger in Larry Stiles, of Johnstown.
Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks), whose record is among the most moderate in the delegation, came in fourth with 71 votes.
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Lehigh), who recently complained about his party’s focus on abortion issues, came fifth with 70 votes.
Here are the full results:
Which Republican is most vulnerable to a primary challenge?
- PA-9: Bill Shuster (R-Blair) (31%)
- PA-18: Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny) (11%)
- PA-12: Keith Rothfus (R-Allegheny) (11%)
- PA-8: Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) (9%)
- PA-15: Charlie Dent (R-Lehigh) (9%)
- PA-11: Lou Barletta (R-Luzerne) (6%)
- PA-16: Joe Pitts (R-Chester) (4%)
- PA-6: Jim Gerlach (R-Chester) (4%)
- PA-10: Tom Marino (R-Lycoming) (4%)
- PA-7: Pat Meehan (R-Delaware) (4%)
- PA-4: Scott Perry (R-York) (3%)
- PA-3: Mike Kelly (R-Butler) (2%)
- PA-5: GT Thompson (R-Centre) (2%)
Total Voters: 763
4 Responses
I am too much a professional woman to write like you want me too–I will stick to the facts. My husband, Frank, will write the jabs. He understands Chicago type politics.
Patricia’s new here…someone let her know we dont have time for all that, just to throw the jab and be on your way.
For example: ordinary guy Keith Rothfus is such a moron he’s considering moving to Johnstown to primary himself to please the pittsburgh Tea Tards.
Travis Schooley entered this race over a year ago. Then along came a man from Iowa with no roots in the 9th district, and a virtually unknown past. The third candidate, Art entered the race more than a full year after Schooley’s filing with the FEC. You can find very little about his past other than what he tells you. No family in this region and no business records can be identified. There are past Washington D.C. connections. It is suspicious to say the least.
Despite the newcomer’s intentions, Schooley remains convinced that the 9th district would be better served by a true native of the 9th. Schooley is the only candidate born and raised in this district. His ancestry in the district dates back at least to 1765, to Bedford County Militiamen and Continental Army soldiers, who stood firm in defense of this district’s people against the British during the American Revolution.
He quite literally has thousands of blood relatives in this district. No one else in the race can claim this familial bond with the people of the 9th. He feels the people of the 9th are his family and that this is his backyard.
Bill Shuster moved here in junior high and the third candidate, Art, hasn’t been here long enough to bake a pie. We have to ask ourselves, why do those with Washington D.C. insider connections keep moving into our district to run for Congress? What is wrong with our own people, that we should elect outsiders to lead us in the halls of Congress? As with Bud Shuster and now Art, these people are not from our community and money flows in from the outside to market these folks to us in hopes of getting elected. They are outsiders and the people of this district are growing tired of outsiders coming into our district to usurp the reigns of leadership over our residents.
Bye bye Bill! We’re finally going to have a Congressman who isn’t a crook… unless you find some sneaky way to hand the seat to one of your kids.