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5/24 Ups & Downs

This week saw several interesting, albeit low turnout campaigns. Here’s who did the best and the worst.

Up ArrowComebacks. Several perennial candidates and former losers turned things around on Tuesday. A few that stand out are: Bill Peduto: he’s been trying to become Pittsburgh’s mayor for a decade, and finally did. Kathy Dahlkemper: after losing re-election in 2010, she primaried an incumbent and won her race for Erie County Exec. Eric Papenfuse: has run for office nearly every year for half a decade, and finally won to be the Dem nominee for Harrisburg Mayor. Todd Platts: faced stiff opposition in his bid to become a judge after 12 years in Congress, but won the GOP nomination.

Down ArrowLewis Butts. The 4th place finisher in the race for Harrisburg Mayor never really had a shot, but he could have walked away from the campaign clean. Until the other night, when police arrested Butts for spray painting a yard sign of the eventual winner, Eric Papenfuse. At least he sings a good version of ‘Wonderwall’.

Up ArrowWS Group. The Harrisburg-based firm had a good night. Their clients included Dahlkemper, re-elected Philly Controller Alan Butkovitz, a PAC working on behalf of Papenfuse, a local government slate in Lackawanna County, and Jack McVay for Superior Court.
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Up ArrowRich Fitzgerald. He cemented his reputation as master of his domain on Tuesday with the victory of Peduto for Pittsburgh Mayor. The Allegheny County Exec was one of Peduto’s first, loudest and most deep-pocketed supporters and as a result will have a glowing relationship with the executive of his County’s largest city. With his home turf in hand, expect him to play a bigger role in statewide politics going forward.

Up ArrowSpecter Library. The Former Senator’s expansive legacy will soon have a permanent, public home. Philadelphia University broke ground on Thursday at the Arlen Specter Center for Public Policy.
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Down ArrowPA Dems and Allyson Schwartz. It’s understandable that Democrats would take any opportunity to ding Gov. Corbett. But the PA Dems and Schwartz misfired when they jumped on his Latino staffer remark. Corbett’s former Health Sec. Eli Avila was first generation Puerto Rican and their charges had no merit. You’ve got to pace yourself. The Governor is not a verbal wizard, but if you fire off a statement everyday about something he says it will become noise.

Tweet of the week: Bill Peduto.

Note: lots of people won and lost Tuesday, so simply winning isn’t enough to land an arrow on this list.

4 Responses

  1. I love many of the coments from this article:
    skater8er2That could be his election slogan next year
    “Tom Corbutt angrily defending what he thinks is right”
    “and what his rich puppet master want” …

    Replypa_skookOr: “Tom Corbutt…Pull my finger”…
    skater8er2You could start all your headlines about Tommy like this…
    “Tommy angerly defends….
    his Sandusky handling”
    his lottery plan”
    his pension reform”
    his school budget”
    his Marcellus shale breaks”
    and on and on

    and several more:

    http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/corbett_angrily_defends_out_of.html#comments

  2. Completely disagree on the down arrow for PA Dems (although I am fine with a down arrow for Schwartz in general)

    There were two problems with what the Governor said, and if you can’t see it, then I hope the Republicans can’t either.

    1. It was the dismissive, off-hand attitude. He can’t find a single Pennsylvanian of Hispanic heritage to work for him at a senior level? And so he looks around the room and says, essentially, any of “you people” want a job?

    2. Hispanics are the fast-growing demographic group in the state. From Reading to Norristown to Allentown, the best restaurants, the most vibrant neighborhoods, and the most small businesses are filled with Hispanic immigrants and their descendants.

    A single, former official is not enough.

    But again, glad for Republicans and other to think this is not true.

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