By Elena Alessi, Contributing Writer
Former State Representative and current Republican Senate candidate Sam Rohrer has begun a crusade against the Pennsylvania GOP State Committee’s endorsement of a candidate to run against incumbent Sen. Bob Casey. Rohrer believes “A closed nomination process is bad for the Republican party.”
As PoliticsPA reported last week, Rohrer has recently created an online petition, www.dearmrgleason.com, asking State GOP Chairman Rob Gleason to “not endorse in the United States Senate race.”
Rohrer’s organization released on Monday the results of a poll of 1,729 Pennsylvanians likely to vote in the GOP primary. By an overwhelming majority, 84% of respondents said that voters should be able to decide in an open Primary process without the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s endorsement of a Senate candidate.
Also reported in the findings was that 68% of those polled supported, or strongly supported, “the ideals and values of the Tea Party.” Rick Santorum was favored for President by 28.87% of those polled, and Newt Gingrich was close behind with 26.14%. Romney came in third with just under 20%, but with 17.84% of those polled undecided, these rankings could certainly change.
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8 Responses
I find it highly suspect that 68% of R voters are Tea Party. Who did this poll?
All we want as voters is the opportunity to select our candidate of choice. Why is the Republican leadership trying get between Sam Rohrer and the voters with a sham endorsement? They really need to get in touch with the U.S. Constitution. Let the voters decide!
Sam Rohrer is one of the most ethical and decent people I’ve ever met. We should all be thankful that he is pushing for an open primary that leaves the decision in the hands of the people rather than the party bosses.
Yes, pay raise was a bad vote, but in exchange Rohrer was promised vote on property tax reform, which never happened. Fooled him once, yes shame on him, but from attending candidate forums and listening to his positions, he truly regrets this vote and worked diligently to get it repealed. I believe him. How many candidates ever actually admit a mistake instead of trying to convince you that it was the right thing to do? He is a good man with solid conservative principles.
Good for Sam for taking on the issue of “No Endorsement”. It is important with so many good and viable candidates in the field that the Republican voters decide whom they want, and not a group of ill-informed committee people who are more influenced by party’s insiders than by careful analysis of candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.
Newt Gingrich is the unlikely avatar of anti-Establishment sentiment which has not, yet, drifted to Penna. electorate. We shall see if Republicans will be more of the same or take our State and Country in a new direction of Limited Government and Free Markets.
Sean please…get your facts straight. Sam Rohrer DID NOT accept the pay raise. He’s the only one who DIDN’T take the raise. The rest either took it and kept it, or took it and gave it back. Rohrer not only DIDN’T take the raise, but he fought from day one to repeal the bill. He’s always the first to say it was a bad vote–one that he regrets, and one that he worked hard to fix.
Rohrer paints himself as a conservative but he voted for the pension increase in 2001 that is going to break the bank over the next couple years.
Sam Rohrer is a joke. He is only for limited government as long as he doesn’t have to make a sacrifice. He supported and accepted the MIDNIGHT PAY RAISE! He should never hold another public office ever again.