Category Archives: Features

Statewide Election Open Thread

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PoliticsPA will be covering election news and returns all Tuesday and late into the night to bring you the latest. This thread will feature the presidential, U.S. Senate, Attorney General and Auditor General.

80% of statewide precincts reporting:

Tom Smith will be the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate

Statement from Sen. Casey: “I am thankful for the strong support I received from across the Commonwealth to run again as the Democratic nominee.  In the Senate I have stood up for Pennsylvania and for working families.  I am running for reelection to continue to serve as an independent fighter for the people of Pennsylvania.  We face many challenges: we need to put more Pennsylvanians back to work and unfair foreign trade is allowing countries like China to cheat.

“There will be a clear contrast in November between who has stood up for Pennsylvania working families and who has proposed more unaffordable tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, between who has fought against trade deals that will ship Pennsylvania jobs overseas and who supports the flawed trade policies of the past, between who will protect and strengthen Medicare and Social Security and who wants to dismantle these vital promises.”

 

Kathleen Kane 53%

Patrick Murphy 46%

 

John Maher will be the GOP nominee for Auditor General.

The CPA for PA Auditor General, John Maher said “Today, voters declared loud and clear Pennsylvania deserves an Auditor as Auditor General.”

8:55pm: Kathleen Kane is winning by 90 votes in Allegheny County with 13% of the vote in.

8:45pm: With 8% of the precincts reporting in the City of Philadelphia, Patrick Murphy is getting 63% of the vote. He will need to run up numbers there to do well statewide.

6:30pm: Here’s a copy of the Montco GOP’s sample ballot. These green 1-pagers are gospel to many Republican faithful and one of the top benefits of a PAGOP endorsement. Will they do the trick for Steve Welch, especially given that all observers say turnout is low?

3:30: Dave Freed doesn’t have an Attorney General primary opponent, but he does have a day job. His campaign sent out a release boasting that he had busted criminals on election day. Here’s the coverage on ABC 27.

This morning in Camp Hill, PA, Cumberland County District Attorney and candidate for Pennsylvania Attorney General, David Freed, announced the seizure of nearly 2,700 marijuana plants and more than 150 pounds of packaged pot – the largest drug-growing ring in county history.

Freed spent Election Day much like every other day – locking up drug dealers.

3:06pm: Marissa Pinto Burt on Frank Pinto’s Auditor campaign: “We are excited by the turnout of our supporters. Our poll volunteers from all across the state are sharing great feedback. We believe the people of this great state are sick of the status quo and ready for a new, independent voice and are therefore coming out to vote for Frank Pinto!”

2:20pm: One GOP operative working on a statewide race said he predicts GOP turnout will fall about 10 or 15 percent below 2008 levels, across the state.

1:55pm: David Christian for Senate sent a thank you email to his supporters:

Today is election day. Today is about solutions to those struggles. This has been a long and hard fought campaign and I’d like to take a moment to thank you for your support. Elections are about choices. My opponents are all good men.  Unfortunately, not all good men can win elections. I’m running because I believe that I’m the best man to take on and beat Bob Casey. I’ve fought for this country and I’m tough enough to withstand anything that the Bob Casey’s of the world can throw at me. I’m running because I can defeat Bob Casey and work to put this nation back on the right path.

1:40pm: Nat Binns, the spokesman for the Patrick Murphy campaign says that Murphy’s daughter, Maggie is whipping votes in the 8th ward in Philly at Warwick Hotel.

1:20pm: To nobody’s surprise, the Kane campaign says they are seeing low turnout across the state.

12:45pm: Sen. Casey looks to cash in on the GOP primary. From a fundraising email his campaign just sent out:

I know Bob has what it takes to win in November.  But thanks to the Citizens United ruling, special interest groups can anonymously give unlimited sums of money to influence this election.  They’re already airing attack ads in this race, and you better believe they’re going to come after us in the general election.

…

No matter who the other side nominates, we already know what to expect. While Bob has worked hard to reach across the aisle, find common ground and deliver results for Pennsylvanians, his opponents have fallen lock step behind a divisive, extreme right-wing agenda – one that almost shut our government down in order to secure tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, one that would end Medicare as we know it and ship good Pennsylvania jobs overseas.

12:40pm: On the Presidential front, Rep. Tim Murphy endorsed Mitt Romney today. From the Romney release:

“President Obama’s energy policy can be summed up in one word: ‘No,’” said Congressman Tim Murphy. “No Keystone pipeline, no drilling for oil and natural gas and no to coal. Mitt Romney understands that energy equals jobs, and will advance a true ‘all-of-the-above’ energy plan. Not only does that matter here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, it is critical for our nation’s economy to get back on track. That’s why I am proud to stand with Mitt Romney and encourage Pennsylvanians to support Mitt today on Pennsylvania primary day.”

12:30pm: Checking in with the Smith & Welch camps

“We’re encouraged by everything we see,” says CM Jim Conroy. “Our volunteers are out in force working hard to turn out the vote for Tom.”

Re: possible weather issues, they report sunny skies.

“We are making calls, knocking doors and finishing strong,” says Welch CM Peter Towey.

12:10pm: Here are Eugene Depasquale’s plans

State Representative Eugene DePasquale, the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Auditor General, will be voting at approximately 9:00 AM on Tuesday, April 24 at the Lincolnway Fire Company, 300 E. Berlin Road in York.

DePasquale will monitor the results from home before arriving at the Democratic Party of York County’s Election Night Party at the Roosevelt Tavern, 50 North Penn Street in York, at approximately 9:45 PM.

DePasquale will be available to speak to the media at both points tomorrow, and by request in-between those times.

WHAT: State Representative Eugene DePasquale Casting His Vote
WHEN: Tuesday, April 24 at approximately 9:00 AM
WHERE: Lincolnway Fire Company, 300 E. Berlin Road, York, PA

WHAT: State Representative Eugene DePasquale Attending Democratic Party of York County’s Election Night Party
WHEN: Tuesday, April 24 at approximately 9:45 PM.
WHERE: Roosevelt Tavern, 50 North Penn Street in York, PA

9:25am: We have John Maher for Auditor’s e-day plans:

John Maher casts his ballot and greets voters
7:00AM
Boyce Middle School
1500 Boyce Road
Upper St. Clair, PA 15241

John Maher Hosts Election Night Celebration
7:30PM
Crowne Plaza, Pittsburgh South
Washington Room
164 Fort Couch Road
Pittsburgh, PA  15241

8:55am: Clinton cuts robocall for Kane. Kathleen Kane for AG scored a major endorsement from former President Bill Clinton, and he’s helping her to get out the vote today. He cut a 30 second robocall on her behalf (listen here): “She’d be the first woman ever elected Attorney General in Pennsylvania, and also one of the very finest you ever had,” he says.

7:00am: Candidates’ election day plans

Sam Rohrer for Senate

ELECTION NIGHT CELEBRATION DETAILS:

WHO: U.S. Senate candidate Sam Rohrer
WHAT: Election Night Celebration
WHERE: Heritage Corporate Center, 1060 Heritage Drive, Elverson, PA 19520
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24

Tom Smith for Senate

10:30 AM – VOTING
New Township Building
849 State Route 210
Shelocta, PA 15774

8:00 PM – ELECTION NIGHT PARTY
Clarion Hotel and Conference Center
401 Holiday Drive
Pittsburgh

Steve Welch for Senate

What: Steve Welch Voting Location
Who: Republican Endorsed U.S. Senate Candidate Steve Welch
When: Tuesday, April 24, 7:15 a.m.
Where: Charlestown Elementary School, 2060 Charlestown Road, Malvern 19355

What: Steve Welch Greets Voters
Who: Republican Endorsed U.S. Senate Candidate Steve Welch
When:Tuesday, April 24, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Limerick Township Building, 646 W. Ridge Pike, Royersford 19468

PRIMARY NIGHT RECEPTION
8:30pm
The Crowne Plaza Hotel
King of Prussia, PA 19406

David Christian for Senate

Victory Party
Knowles-Doyle American Legion Post #317 Yardley PA 19067
215 South Main Street Yardley, PA 19067  (215) 493-4388

Marc Scaringi for Senate

WHO: Marc Scaringi, candidate for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate

WHAT: Will be voting at the Camp Hill Borough Administration Building at 10am and greeting voters there from 7am to 10am, and later from 7pm to 8pm. He will be available for interviews throughout the day and evening.

WHEN:  Voting: 10am. Greeting voters from 7am to 10am and from 7pm to 8pm.

WHERE:  Voting: Camp Hill Borough Administration Building, 2145 Walnut St. Camp Hill, PA 17011. Media availability while located at the Borough Administration Building and by contacting Communications Director Randy DeSoto

Kathleen Kane for Attorney General

Victory Party
Lackawanna Station Hotel
(700 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton, PA., doors open at 8:00 PM)

Patrick Murphy for Attorney General

8 to 9 AM: Voting with his wife Jenni and kids, Maggie and Jack

Location:  1 N. Wilson Ave., Bristol, PA 19007

Noon – 1 PM: Campaigning at Famous 4th Street Deli
Location: 700 S. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

2:30 – 3:30 PM: Canvass Kick-Off at Sprinkler Fitters Local 692
Location: 14002 McNulty Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154

5 – 6 PM: Greeting voters in the 22nd Ward with Councilwoman Cindy Bass
Location: Germantown Christian Assembly, 610 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave.,
Philadelphia, PA

8 – 11 PM: Murphy for PA Election Night Party
Location: FOP Lodge 5, 1331 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Prior to Murphy’s speech, FOP President and Campaign Chairman John McNesby will be available to update media.

Dave Freed for Attorney General

7:30am – 8:00am
David Freed’s Polling Place
Schaeffer Elementary School
2900 Walnut St
Camp Hill, PA 17011

8:00pm – 11:00pm
David Freed for Attorney General’s Election Night Event
Park Inn
5401 Carlisle Pike
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Campaigns Brace for Snow Storm

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After millions of dollars and months of hard campaigning, several high-profile races could come down to the weather. A huge snow storm moving through Pennsylvania threatens to dampen turnout in parts of western PA that are key to several notable candidates.

The biggest snowfall is projected in the Johnstown/Altoona market, stretching north to the New York border. Up to 12” may fall in Johnstown, and up to 15” in Bradford. Southwestern Pa, including Pittsburgh, will only see a few inches. (Luckily for the candidates, the forecast is continually diminishing).

That’s smack dab in the base of two notable candidates: Tom Smith for U.S. Senate and Mark Critz for Congress. It could also affect a third: Kathleen Kane, candidate for Attorney General, is relying on a strong performance in western Pa. inder to overcome opponent Patrick Murphy’s home base in SEPA.

Jason Altmire’s base in Allegheny and Beaver counties isn’t projected to take a big hit. But in Critz’s home town of Johnstown, snow will continue to accumulate until the Tuesday morning hours when it’s projected to switch to a wintry mix in the morning, and finally rain in the afternoon.

Critz spokesman Mike Mikus said the forecast was improving.

“The doomsday scenario doesn’t look like it will bear out,” he said. But they’ve been following the reports and looking outside. “We’ve been watching it closely since the first reports.”

“It’s stayed warm and there’s barely anything sticking in Johnstown. By tomorrow morning it should be good. We’ve talked to the Board of Elections in case there’s a power outage. There will be paper ballots at every polling place.”

Likewise Smith’s home on the Armstrong/Indiana County border – snow overnight into wintry mix and rain Tuesday,

His campaign is looking for silver lining among these clouds.

Smith is the frontrunner in the U.S. Senate race, but with such a low-key campaign, a disruptive weather event could tilt the scales. Steve Welch of Chester County, who has the endorsement of the PAGOP, could benefit. Or it could help Sam Rohrer of Berks County. Neither area is expected to see snow or even much rain.

“That factor is out of our control,” said Smith campaign manager Jim Conroy. “Tom’s supporters are highly motivated, and we think the folks in western Pa will do everything they can to make it to the polls.”

Welch campaign manager Peter Towey echoed the theme.

“We’re very confident our folks are going to stay out,” he said of the party faithful. “They stand at polling places in November every year. A little April inclement weather is not going to keep them in.”

As one GOP operative quipped, “When did Steve Welch get God’s endorsement?”

PA House & Senate Election Updates

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TV ads, abortion, white nationalism, and more. Could election week get any crazier? There have been tons of updates from dozens of competitive state House and Senate primaries. Here’s the latest from races around the state.

Editor’s note: We will include these, and any additional updates that catch our eye, in Monday’s Buzz. If you notice a story or update that’s missing, please email it to press@politicspa.com.

Statewide

Capitol Ideas has a look at the 6 state House special elections on Tuesday and what they could mean for either party, and more!

The Keystone State Education Coalition made its 2012 primary endorsements: Erin Molchany (D, HD-22), Shauna D’Alessandro (R, HD-39), Duane Milne (R, HD-167), Babette Josephs (D, HD-182), Jim Roebuck (D, HD-188) and Pat Vance (R, SD-31).

Chris Brennan and Vinny Vella have a good run down of most of the contested Philly House races (HD-169, HD-186, HD-190, HD-192, HD-195, HD-198, HD-201, HD-202 and HD-203).

State Senate

SD-15: John McNally is a heavy favorite for the GOP nomination to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Piccola. Long shot Republican opponent Josh First unveiled this weekend the “McNally Meter,” which highlights the fact that First is being out-spent 22 to 1. He also dings the former Dauphin GOP chair for the drop in GOP voter registration during his tenure (though omits the party’s decisive success in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 cycles).

SD-15: The Patriot-News takes a look at the two Democrats vying for the nomination in Piccola’s seat, Alvin Taylor and Rob Teplitz. Dem insiders are strongly pulling for Teplitz, who they think has a strong chance to win the seat in November.

SD-29: Two news articles profile Sen. Dave Argall (R-Schuylkill) and challenger Brian Rich in one of the hardest-fought primaries in PA. Meanwhile, the Associated Builders & Contractors and the Pennsylvania Builders Association have both backed Argall. “Senator Argall has been a true friend to the home building industry,” said PBA President Warren Peter.  “That is why it is my privilege to let you know that the Pennsylvania Builders Association is endorsing you for the 29th Senatorial seat.”

SD-31: Our Cumberland County Republican friends have gotten about a million mailers in the race between Sen. Pat Vance and Andrew Shaw (about 10 from Vance; 4 favoring Shaw). The latest comes for Shaw, from the Family Research Council’s PAC in DC, hammering Vance for her moderate stances on gay marriage and abortion.

SD-33: White nationalism? “Taylor said he had agreed to help his friend, [William] Regnery, to raise money to start a ‘respectable, academic’ organization that would review the effect of public policy on whites,” reports the Chambersburg Public Opinion. Turns out James Taylor, who is running a write-in campaign against Sen. Rich Alloway (R-Franklin), has myriad connections to several white nationalist groups. The PO has a more detailed review of the race, and Alloway’s 10-1 fundraising advantage, here.

SD-37: Things in this race have really hit the fan. The Post-Gazette ed board actually pulled its endorsement of Mark Mustio over a flyer they said was racist (view it here). This came just a day after Mustio called for a ceasefire on negative ads with main rival Raja, which itself came a bit after Mustio-backer Rep. Tim Murphy offered some kind words for Raja, and shortly before Allegheny GOP Chair Jim Roddey made the same request – a ceasefire. Mustio had been hammering Raja over outsourcing and being Indian, Raja blasted Mustio for voting for the 2005 legislative pay raise.

State House

HD-14: Democratic Midland Councilman Sam Rosatone Jr.’s write-in campaign hasn’t gone unnoticed by GOP state Rep. Jim Marshall (R-Beaver), who will run his own write-in campaign on the Democratic side. “Why not?” Marshall told the Beaver Co. Times.

HD-31: Anne Chapman is hitting Helen Bosley over her past employment with Planned Parenthood. The two Republicans are vying to face Rep. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks). GrassrootsPA has the mailer (PDF).

HD-92: The Citizens Alliance for Pennsylvania (CAP)? They’re the ones infamously targeting moderate GOPers in Harrisburg. The Conservatives Alliance of Pennsylvania (CAP)? They’re new. And they’re going after Mike Regan in the race for Rep. Scott Perry’s (R-York) seat. You can see their mailer (front and back) here. Said CA(f)P spokesman Leo Knepper: “This is just pure dirty politics. The claims made in the mailer are completely false, saying that Mr. Regan worked for Obama because he happened to be at the justice department while the president was in office is ludicrous. That someone would use the credibility that we have built for CAP in order to lend credibility to these spurious claims is beyond the pale. We are consulting with legal council and will pursue legal action if viable. Furthermore, we will work to determine who is behind this sham organization and expose them as the frauds they are.”

HD-93: Linda Small, the former weather forecaster hoping to take on Rep. Ron Miller (R-York), says PA should scrap its fuel subsidies. “Ending the $2.9 billion fossil fuel subsidies PA gives each year and moving quickly to renewable energy and efficiency will create 21st century jobs, keep our energy dollars in the state, and have many other positive effects,“ she said.

HD-103: The four-person Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Ron Buxton (D-Dauphin) has turned negative, with Patty Kim taking shots at Roy Christ and Christ returning fire. The Patriot News has the story.

HD-112: The Scranton Times-Tribune ed board backed challenger Kevin Haggarty over Rep. Ken Smith, saying the incumbent’s personal tax and debt issues were hypocritical.

HD-113: Can he get an extension? Turns out Rep. Kevin Murphy didn’t actually graduate from the University of Scranton, as he has maintained for decades. He acknowledged Friday that he doesn’t have a degree, after primary opponent Marty Flynn and a supporter uncovered the issue. Murphy says he’s one final paper short of officially graduating, and will compete it this week. Additionally, the Scranton Times-Tribune ed board endorsed Flynn.

HD-117: The HRCC is stepping in to thwart a Dem write-in candidate seeking to get on the ballot against Rep. Karen Boback. This mailer (front and back) to Dems asks them to write in Boback (instead of Mark “Duke” Barrett, the Dem who came up short on petitions). Not that Republicans have much to worry about. Boback took over 81 percent in 2010 and 71 percent in 2008.

HD-157: Former Rep. Paul Drucker isn’t wasting any time setting up his rematch with Rep. Warren Kampf (R-Chester). On Wednesday, he’ll have his official campaign kickoff at his office in Phoenixville. Here’s his website.

HD-172: Dan Collins, the Dem challenger to Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Phila) in John Perzel’s old district, is on TV. His simple spot, boasting Collins’ local roots and endorsement by the Philly FOP, started Saturday morning and will run through Tuesday on cable (news, sports, specific interest channels). The primary winner faces Al Taubenberger in the general, one of the rare competitive general election Philly races.

HD-197: The Daily News takes a look at the complicated race to replace now Philly Sheriff Jewell Williams. The special election candidate, Gary Williams, is not on the primary ballot, but Jewel Williams is. That’s Jewel with one ‘L,’ the Councilman’s daughter.

4/20 Ups & Downs

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These are the final Ups & Downs before the primary on Tuesday. See who has the momentum and who doesn’t in the kay races around Pennsylvania.

PA Journalism. Not one but two Pennsylvania newspapers this week won a Pulitzer Prize. It’s an incredible accomplishment and a credit to the hard work of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Sara Ganim and the Harrisburg Patriot-News, covering the violence in Philly schools and the Jerry Sandusky scandal, respectively. Well deserved.
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Tim Holden. The 9-term incumbent Congressman is in the fight of his political life and momentum is moving against him. It started when the GOP drew a district that was 80 percent new to him, it got worse when his opponent Matt Cartwright raised and loaned himself over $700K. But it became career-threatening when outside groups dumped over half a million into the district in attack ads. Holden called for a ceasefire of negative ads on Thursday, and Cartwright accepted. But the PACs haven’t, and the damage is largely done.

Steve Welch. It’s looking rough. The GOP-endorsed candidate has only a small TV presence in the final week of the campaign, and some party leaders have gone public with doubts about his chances. Tom Smith and Sam Rohrer out-raised him in the first quarter ($443K for Smith, 156K for Rohrer, $152K for Welch). Will the party’s organization get out his vote on election day? Will the $145K anti-Smith IE make a big enough dent? We’ll see on Tuesday.

Jon Delano. Politics is a funny place. Who’d have guessed a week ago that the term “CookieGate” would exist, let alone go viral. The KDKA news man picked up on Mitt Romney’s slight against a famous Pittsburgh-area bakery and inadvertently gave the story national legs.
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HDCC. The Pa. House Dems’ campaign arm has a legitimate chance to go 6-for-6 in Tuesday’s special elections, thanks to their tapping into the national “war on women” theme in HD-134. An ad they aired, tying Republican Ryan Mackenzie to the ultrasound mandate, caught the attention of Planned Parenthood national, which decided to drop $100K into the R-leaning district. Mackenzie opposes the mandate, but who cares? Ad spending is against him 2-1.

Mark Mustio. He’s running to replace retiring Sen. John Pippy (as well as his own state House seat), but faces a tough opponent in 2011 Allegheny Exec candidate Raja. The campaign has been a nasty one; Mustio hammers Raja over his company’s outsourcing, Raja blasts Mustio for his 2005 pay raise vote. The pay raise cuts deeper. Mustio’s campaign has also drawn fire for racially-tinged attacks. They even drew a favorable comment about Raja from Mustio endorser, Rep. Tim Murphy. Mustio called for a ceasefire and pulled his negative ads just we were writing this.

Mark Critz. The Johnstown Congressman appears to have the momentum in this race. The first public poll of the campaign put him down just 4 points, narrower than any of the internals yet released. Jason Altmire is playing defense on his support for the Balanced Budget Amendment. And Bowzer, yes that Bowzer, is on the ground to help him get out the vote.

Tweet of the week: Scott Detrow.

Facebook post of the week: Rep. Nick Miccarelli.

A Recipe for CookieGate

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Faithful reader ‘Porcupine’ submits this Mitt Romney-inspired recipe for cookies:

2 1/4 c. Tesco Organic Self Raising Flour
8 oz softened Unsalted Echire Butter
6 oz organic granulated sugar
6 oz Perruche Brown Sugar Cubes
1 tsp Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla
4 delicate quail eggs
1 bag Belgian Dark Chocolate Baking Callets (Chips)
1 tsp baking soda

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
SERVANT WILL COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For High ATTITUDE BAKING (ego inflated over 5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons Acqua di Cristallo Tributo a Modigliani water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

CookieGate

Clever photo courtesy of the PA Dems

As Romney toured the Keystone state last week, he managed to break the hearts of bakers in the Pittsburgh area.

According to KDKA’s Jon Delano, while Romney sat at a roundtable in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Romney said “I’m not sure about these cookies,” later on joking about how the cookies “came from the 7-Eleven bakery or whatever.”

The event held at the local Community Center of Bethel Park was held to discuss topics concerning the economy and taxes.

Romney had used this event, and Tax Day, to promote his stance on taxes; no upper income tax hike.

What Romney didn’t expect was the backlash stemming from his cookie comment, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

CNN’s Political Unit picked up the story about what’s being called the ‘CookieGate’ scandal. Bethel Bakery is even offering a CookieGate special, where you buy a dozen cookies and get a half-dozen free.

Bethel Bakery spokeswoman Judie Lytle said “I’m sure he meant it all in jest and didn’t mean to slam a local bakery. It’s nothing that we want to get really upset about, no reason to be angry.” In fact, Bethel Bakery seems to have good spirits, making the most of CookieGate.

The Pittsburgh Business Times added how WPXI-TV looked in on the bakery. Customers loved Bethel Bakery, praising the business for their phenomenal baked goods.

WTAE Pittsburgh quoted bakery owner and president John Walsh: “When I heard it, I thought ‘Oh my goodness. This guy has no idea how beloved this institution is that provided these cookies.’ We wanted him to be welcome with the best in the burgh, and he had no idea.”

The Wall Street Journal became intrigued by CookieGate as well. Author Kris Maher noted that his attempt of humor concerning the food was a complete fail.

Even the PA Dems jumped on. Nancy Mills, the Allegheny County Democratic Party Chair, and the Pittsburgh area Dems are having a cookie taste test, located in Market Square in Pittsburgh. The cookie taste test is offered to show support of locally owned businesses, including Bethel Bakery.

Bethel Bakery cookies will also be making an appearance at the Allegheny County Democratic Party Jefferson Jackson Dinner.

There is a lesson to be learned here: please do not feed the candidates.

Poll: Who will win the Democratic Primary Between Altmire and Critz?

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Our poll question this morning is who will win the 12th Congressional District Democratic primary?

Will it be Jason Altmire who has lead most of the polling conducted in the race and has a territorial advantage or will it be Mark Critz, who was endorsed by former President Bill Clinton and backed by labor unions in the area?

Vote here!

Who Will Win the Democratic Primary in the 12th Congressional District?


  • Mark Critz (53%)
  • Jason Altmire (47%)

Total Voters: 555

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And thanks to everyone who voted in our most recent poll about whether we should split the state House & Senate updates into a separate story. Leave everything as it is won by a decisive margin, and so we shall.

Should PoliticsPA split state House & Senate election updates into a separate daily article?


  • No. It's fine where it is, as part of the Morning Buzz. (59%)
  • Yes. (29%)
  • Yes, and there should also be a separate daily email. (12%)

Total Voters: 326

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Q1 Fundraising: Winners, and Losers

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The numbers are in. Here’s what every congressional candidate in PA raised between January 1 and April 4, 2012, plus our list who exceeded expectations and who fell behind.

Note: For candidates facing a primary, the cash on hand figures below are likely already out of date. They represent account balances before the big media spending began.

Winners

Tim Murphy, PA-18. If he clears his primary challenge (likely), the ordeal may have ended up actually boosting his prospects to retain his seat in the long term. Rep. Murphy (R-Allegheny) raised a massive $661K, the most of any candidate in PA this quarter, and his COH of $1.4 million is second only to Schwartz.

Matt Cartwright, PA-17. It takes a lot to be able to beat a 20 year incumbent, as this Democratic attorney from Lackawanna County hopes to do to Rep. Tim Holden. Cartwright will have the resources to do it. He raised $325K, plus $300K he loaned his own campaign. Holden had an impressive quarter, too, with $437K. But his low pre-existing COH means this will be a race to the finish.

Kathy Boockvar, PA-8. She’s the DCCC’s top recruit in PA, and this quarter she proved why. The attorney and Bucks County Dem pulled in $330K. Although she somehow spent 80K as well (hopefully, for her sake, on further fundraising efforts). She’ll need to keep and even increase the pace next quarter, but she’s off to a strong start.

Mike Fitzpatrick, PA-8. He’s done this dance before, and knows what it takes to win a highly competitive district. The Bucks County Republican raised $360K in Q1, and has almost a million dollars ($927K) on hand.

Keith Rothfus, PA-12. While Jason Altmire and Mark Critz spend hundreds of thousands smacking each other, Rothfus, the Allegheny County attorney, is quietly doing what he needs to do to have a strong shot at the winner. He raised over $241K in Q1, and now has $384K on hand. He’s easily on track to have more COH than the Dems’ primary winner.

Chris Reilly, PA-4. The race to replace Rep. Todd Platts (R-York) is a seven-man GOP primary, where two weeks ago no candidate had greater than 25 percent name ID. York Co. Commissioner Reilly significantly out-raised his opponents, bringing in $192K and entering the final stretch of the campaign with $107K on hand. His closest competitor, state Rep. Scott Perry, raised $108K and had $84K on hand.

Allyson Schwartz, PA-13. No such list would be complete without the Democrat from Montco. She pulled in $466K in Q1, bringing her COH north of $2.6 mil. It’s no wonder that she’s one of the DCCC’s top dogs.

Charlie Dent, PA-15. The Lehigh County Republican got a safer seat thanks to redistricting, but he isn’t taking any chances. He hustled and raised $360K this quarter, three times both of his prospective Democratic opponents combined. He has $517K on hand.

George Badey, PA-7, Manan Trivedi, PA-6 & Larry Maggi, PA-18. We’re putting these three Dems, challenging Reps. Pat Meehan (R-Delaware), Jim Gerlach (R-Chester) and Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny), on the bubble. They each had a respectable first quarter (Badey has $188K COH; Trivedi has $355K; Maggi has $266K), enough to put them on the radar of the DCCC and national interest groups. Time will tell if they can build on this pace – they’ll need to. Meehan has $1.1 million on hand; Gerlach has $688K; Murphy has $1.4 million.

Losers

Evan Feinberg, PA-18. His $71K in Q1 is better than his $50K last year, but it won’t be enough to topple Rep. Tim Murphy. It’s not just the head-to-head (Feinberg’s $80K COH vs. Murphy’s $1.4 million), it’s dissuasive effect on outside groups considering jumping in. As Club for Growth prez Chris Chocola said when the group said it had no further plans to run ads in PA-18, “We don’t mind being one of the larger financial supporters of a candidate but we don’t want to be their finance committee.

Rick Daugherty, PA-15. Before we even talk about Charlie Dent, Daugherty, the Lehigh Co. Dems Chair, will need to defeat Jackson Eaton in the primary. That will be tough with just $4K on hand, compared to $161K for Eaton. Daugherty raised about $8K in Q1; Eaton brought in $104K.

Phil Scollo, PA-10. The Pike County management consultant seeking to challenge Rep. Tom Marino (R-Lycoming) brought in just 16K, a long way from what he’ll need in this Republican district. His saving grace is that Marino’s Q1 ($124K) and COH ($290K) aren’t out of this world.

Bill Vinsko, PA-11. The Luzerne County attorney started strong in Q3 2011, nearly matching Rep. Lou Barletta. Then the new map came out, showing he no longer lived in the district. In Q1 2012, with a primary to win, Vinsko brought in just $28K. Barletta’s numbers aren’t great for a freshman in a newly drawn district ($239K on hand), but neither are Vinsko’s ($31K on hand). Numbers are not yet available for his Democratic primary opponent, Gene Stilp.

Here’s the full list:

Correction: An earlier version of this story included Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Lancaster) in the loser column, saying that he raised just $10K. Actually, he raised $123K, plus about $50K since the report was due. A reader dutifully notes that the FEC had allowed Pa. candidates to combine their Q1 reports with the pre-primary reports, due to the proximity of the due dates. Most campaigns filed one joint report, we failed to notice that Pitts filed separate ones. His Democratic opponent Aryanna Strader brought in $50K and has $32K on hand.

4/13 Ups & Downs

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Don’t miss PoliticsPA’s list of Winners and Losers from Santorum’s decision to drop his presidential bid.

PoliticsPA readers. There are so many of you now that we needed the shut down the primary site today in order to upgrade our server to accommodate all the traffic (hence this blogger.com setup and the different format). Thanks for your patience and your patronage!
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Clintonites. Former President Clinton is about the highest-value endorsement you can have in a Democratic primary in Pa. He’s more popular among Dems than Barack Obama. On Thursday, the Prez headlined a rally for Kathleen Kane for Attorney General and announced his support for Rep. Mark Critz. It’s great press for Kane (who also got the Inky’s endorsement), and, said national reporter Shira Toeplitz, “This might be the closest we get to a game change moment in pa-12.” Kane and Critz’s mentor Jack Murtha were both strong Hillary Clinton supporters in 2008.

Kathy Boockvar. Kathy had an impressive Q1 fundraising haul, raising $330K. She solidified her top dog status of DCCC recruits in PA and proved she can be a formidable opponent to Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick. Not to mention the fact that because the district is in the Philadelphia media market it will require substantial resources to get on the air in the fall. Similar props go to Larry Maggi (raised $266K in pa-18); Keith Rothfus (raised $241K in pa-12); and Manan Trivedi (raised $229K in pa-6).

LRC. They finally passed a map! After passing a map that did not pass constitutional muster, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission deliberated and deliberated and deliberated and deliberated until they finally could agree on a map that split fewer municipalities and was more likely to pass the constitutionality test.
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Rick Santorum. Santorum quit while he could still save face. He quit before the Pa. tide had definitively turned against him and avoided the risk of an embarrassing death blow on his home turf.
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Evan Feinberg. The Club for Growth announced this week that they have no plans to pump additional money into the Feinberg challenge to Rep. Tim Murphy. He raised a paltry $71K in Q1, but plans to air a TV ad. However, he did score the moral victory of an (official) endorsement from the Tribune-Review.

Mark Cohen. State Rep. Mark Cohen’s campaign manager parked a campaign vehicle in a spot reserved for press at City Hall in Philadelphia. The kicker is that his campaign manager writes for a newspaper in Phila. The Democratic Caucus Chairman’s campaign staff certainly raised questions about journalistic ethics that may have gone unnoticed if parking-gate had not arisen.

Editor’s Note: PoliticsPA Upgrade

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Hi all,

Just a heads up to the best readers in the state, PoliticsPA is upgrading its server today. The site will become static around 5pm Thursday. Optimistically, it might return later Thursday depending on the DNS. It could be as early as Friday afternoon – but more likely Saturday or Sunday. Thanks for your patience.

In the mean time, we will be posting stories here: http://politicspa-temporary.blogspot.com/

This should resolve the throttling issue, when the site is busy and some of you have reported seeing a database error message (screenshot below).

It’s a good problem; our traffic is now about three times higher than last year and ten times more than when the current server was chosen. We figured better to upgrade now, rather than have the site crash on primary day.

Thanks for your patience.

-Keegan

Santorum’s Out: What it Means for PA Races

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Romney is withdrawing his ad buys, meaning that costs will return to normal election levels instead of the 10 to 15 percent inflation that would have accompanied the buy.

The lack of political ad clutter will benefit any campaign on television, and will allow advertising budgets to stretch longer.

However, diminished interested in the top-ticket race will likely result in a lower turnout among Republicans statewide.

Winners:

Tom Smith. Smith has run a TV campaign, start to finish. He’s out-spending his opponents 2-1. Less clutter on the airwaves means more people will see Smith for U.S. Senate ads. His considerable bankroll will go further.

Steve Welch. While his bid for U.S. Senate would have benefitted from a surge in turnout among moderate SEPA Republicans, low turnout primaries favor GOP-endorsed candidates. Plus, he will also benefit from the undivided attention of his media consultant John Brabender, who will no longer be tied up advising Santorum’s bid.

Local candidates. If you’ve got a TV budget of $50,000 or less, it’s tough to compete with an aggressive national campaign for prime air time on the evening news.

Tom Corbett. He’d stayed neutral so far, despite being asked about his preference in the race every day for months. He won’t have to make a potentially risky endorsement (or non-endorsement) in the race, meaning he can stay friends with everyone.

Losers:

Sam Rohrer. It was perfect for Rohrer, the U.S. Senate hopeful and former state Rep. He has a built-in base of support that correlates to Santorum’s. And he has little money to advertise on TV, so the fact that his rivals’ ads were being overshadowed helped him, too. Now, those rivals’ vote share will grow, while his conservative base is less motivated to turn out.

Evan Feinberg. Similar to Rohrer, Feinberg will rely on conservative activists to deliver him a victory over Rep. Tim Murphy, in a district that contains most of Santorum’s home turf.

Nick Mattiachi and Dave Kralle.

These are the Republican candidates running in the two special state house elections where the GOP is hoping to pick up one seat (Mattiachi is running for Josh Shapiro’s seat in Montco) and hold another (Kralle is running for Denny O’Brien’s seat in Philly). Increased primary turnout would have helped their cause, but no more.

Ryan MacKenzie (in HD-134) is a little worse off, but still likely to win Doug Reichley’s old seat.

TV stations.

Man, we feel for you. Stations here were about to get their hands on a $2.9 million windfall. They still likely got $500,000 or so, but they’ll have to hope for a competitive general election to make up for it.