PA-13 and its registered Democrats. Source: Labels & Lists
As it seems more and more likely that Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz will vacate her seat to run for Governor, the 13th congressional district is buzzing with possible candidates.
The district is 60% Democratic and votes that way, meaning the real race is in the primary.
The real question is geography. Will the tradition of the long reigning line of Montgomery County officials stay intact, or is it possible that Philadelphia can produce a candidate that will be able to take the seat?
Part of the reason for such success in Montgomery County officials retaining this seat for so long is money. The richest county in the state and one of the top 100 wealthiest in the country, something is to be said about the big time money that the Montco crowd can raise in their home base. But given the PA-13 redistricting shift toward Philadelphia (52.3% of PA-13 Dems live there), a strong push by Philly Dems and labor unions could bring it home.
Here are the 6 big names we’re hearing so far.
Brendan Boyle
Northeast Philly State Rep. Brendan Boyle is in his third term as a legislator. He’s also a professor at Drexel University, an Aspen Institute fellow, and he recently finished serving a cycle as HDCC Chairman. His entire legislative district sits within the 13th congressional district, as does that of his brother State Rep. Kevin Boyle.
Two sources close to Boyle confirm he is “100% running” for the seat and has been preparing for a bid since Schwartz’s news surfaced. As an effective fundraiser, he is expected to have widespread support among many of the unions important in Philadelphia politics. Wayne Miller of Sprinklerfitters Local 692 said he thought Boyle could count on union support, too.
“If Brendan Boyle runs we will be 100% in support of him — the plumbers, the steamfitters, all of the building trades” said Miller. “With a district that’s 52% of Philadelphia, Brendan would be a front runner. If he wasn’t we wouldn’t be behind him. He would be great for Montgomery County and he would be great for Northeast Philadelphia. Hopefully he decides to run.”
Daylin Leach
While not as large as the Philadelphia portion of the district, Montgomery County still retains a sizeable and significant part of the 13th. A leading contender from the suburbs seems to be State Senator Daylin Leach. He’s been making calls and locking down support for a run for weeks.
A long time progressive champion, Leach has been in the legislature for over a decade. He has been outspoken on many liberal causes, including Marcellus drilling, gay marriage and marijuana legalization. He is considered by many to be the wittiest member of the legislature.
As the chairman of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, he helped the party pick up 3 seats in the chamber and showed himself to be an able fundraiser. He lives just over the border in the 7th district, but many of his constituents overlap.
Josh Shapiro or Leslie Richards
Other Montgomery County names being mentioned for the 13th include current Montgomery County commissioners Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards.
Some believe Shapiro, 40 years old and a strong fundraiser, has had his eye on the seat. Others say that he has statewide rather than congressional ambitions. He’s only been in office for a year, he’s consistently getting good press, and many insiders believe that he wants to see through at least a full term before he runs for something else.
One political consultant said, “It doesn’t make sense for Shapiro to run for this because he has too much to lose and nothing to gain. Josh is already the executive of Montgomery County and is a leading candidate for US Senate in 2016 or Governor in 2018. Running for a majority Philadelphia-based US House seat wouldn’t do anything to help his statewide appeal.”
If he doesn’t run, Richards might. A former Whitemarsh Township supervisor and Shapiro’s running mate in their successful 2011 County Commissioner race, she has been notably low key so far during her tenure – but local insiders widely consider her a rising star.
Jonathan Saidel
Former City Controller Jonathan Saidel is another well-known Philadelphia name mentioned by insiders – and he the ability to fundraise. Saidel served as city controller before resigning in 2005 to run for mayor, a race from which he eventually withdrew. He lost narrowly to central PA State Rep. Scott Conklin (D-Centre) in the 2010 Democratic primary for Lt. Governor.
Saidel is well known and well-liked by party activists and has a long track record of involvement in Philadelphia machine politics.
Allyson Schwartz
Her seat in the House and rising influence there gives a run for statewide office a high opportunity cost. But she could try to thread the needle.
While the law precludes one person from serving in two offices, nothing says she can’t run for both (except political practicality). It’s unlikely that she could make a serious general election run for Gov, but she could choose to stay on the ballot for both offices through the primary. It would provide insurance against a Gov primary loss.
She told Capitolwire that she wasn’t inclined to run for both, but her answer left enough wiggle room for a primary maneuver as described above.
Q. Will you run for one office or for Congress and governor in 2014? Do you see yourself as choosing one or the other?
Schwartz: I do. I would be asking voters to be all-in for me. It’s really galvanizing people who share my hopes and expectations for Pennsylvania, to be all-in, and I would expect myself to be as well.
If she were to run in both primaries and win, then drop from the Congress race, local committee members from Philly and Montco would meet and vote to choose the nominee.]
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I sure hope Boyle runs. I can’t stand Shapiro or Richards. The way they carved the County budget and cut funding to domestic violence groups and special needs groups is ridiculous.
I like them all. Solid field. In the end I could see it Boyle vs. Leach.
Please, please let it be Boyle. As a resident of the Northeast I couldn’t stomach another aloof person from the suburbs. Boyle grew up in a tough neighborhood without a silver spoon in his mouth but has accomplished a lot.
Hey where are the Republicans on this list?? We could win this (although I know it wouldn’t be easy)
Boyle – LIBERAL
Leach – LIBERAL
Shapiro – LIBERAL
Richards – don’t know her; I’m sure a LIBERAL
Need a good Republican to run!
As a long-time Montgomery County resident who actively follows politics, I have been following the careers of Shapiro, Richards and Boyle closely. All three are able legislators, especially Shapiro and Boyle, both of whom I have heard speak before. Boyle has my support if he runs; he is brilliant and well-spoken, and among the smartest legislators in the state. His support for Israel is great; I saw in the papers this week that he is going on a legislative trip there next week to discuss foreign policy issues. Finally, he always answers my correspondence as well, when I write about legislation I would like him to support or vote against. Thats not something that many legislators who I write do, sadly! He would make a great congressman.
Isn’t Boyle pro-life? That could be problematic here.
No, unfortunately Boyle is definitely NOT pro-life. Big disappointment. He voted for all of that radical liberal legislation that Dems have been pushing.
Leach and Boyle are also part of that LGBT group that is pushing gay rights. They are too liberal!!!
I think that being mixed on abortion could be a major issue in the Democratic primary here. A true social progressive like Leach could hammer Boyle on that.
PA legislators redistricted everything to get more conservative voters into swing districts which naturally left some new districts packed with more democrats- PA13 is one of those ridiculously shaped districts that republicans conceded to the dems in order to turn more swing districts in their favor.
So, like this article implies, aint no chance a republican is taking over Rep. Schwartz’s district.
Daylin leach 2014!!! I want to smoke my grass in peace!!! He will legalize Marijuana and end The Man’s prohibition. Also, he is funny as heck.
Theres one joke he told about Rome that I thought was hilarious!! More legislators need a sense of humor:
“I’ve just learned the very basic things you would need to get by in Rome. I can say ‘Hello,’ ‘Goodbye,’ ‘Where’s the bathroom,’ ‘Is your sister really twelve?’ -Leach
@GOP Bucks
There is no such thing as being “too liberal”…..To be a liberal is to be a REAL AMERICAN PATRIOT!!!
Wow, that’s an impressive list. I’ve heard a few more names that are interested:
State Rep. John Sabatina
Montco Prothy Mark Levy
State Senator Mike Stack
State Rep. Ed Nielson
If the PA Supreme Court approves the redistricting plan, Neilson and Sabatina will be in the same PA House district and will run against each other.
Shapiro would be the toughest candidate to beat, if he ran. Shapiro has greater name ID to begin the race, is a far better fundraiser, and is a far better campaigner than all of them. But Shapiro will not run for Congress, he will wait until 2016 to run for U.S. Senate.
If Schwartz runs for Governor, Leach will run, another Montgomery County candidate will run, Brendan Boyle will run, and Stack may run.
“Leach and Boyle are also part of that LGBT group that is pushing gay rights. They are too liberal!!!”
GOP Bucks obviously doesn’t think gay people deserve to have rights.
If either of the Montco Commissioners mentioned run, they will have lost their minds. They have much better jobs now with far more responsibility and much less commute. And they are the majority. The third commissioner, the Republican, doesn’t live in the district. Face it, this house seat is an expensive proposition, runs every two years, to obtain a terrible job, low man/woman on the totem pole, and in the minority to boot! Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards are far too smart to bite on this.
Montgomery will probably turn out more voters in the district than Philadelphia and has no other resident in Congress, thus having more to lose.
replacing the lone female member of congress from pa with a man is not the greatest visual. so i would agree on leslie richards, also state sen leana washington, and state rep madeline dean, or montco clerk of courts ann thorburg weiss would be in the mix as well
Daylin Leach grew up in Northeast Philadelphia!
Northeast Philly has changed a lot since Leach grew up. In fact Leach has changed a lot since he was elected! Which one of these candidates truly know what Northeasy Philly and Montgomery County residents care about? In fact which one of these candidates are simply not looking for an egotisitical “promotion”?