It was just a flash in the pan, but it sure sparked while it lasted.
For the first time Wednesday, the governor’s race briefly turned nasty.
Democrat Joe Hoeffel was livid when he learned that rival Dan Onorato was behind a short-lived lawsuit challenging his right to get his name on the May 18 primary ballot.
Hoeffel, a Montgomery County commissioner, called it “a cowardly act.” He said Onorato was “a bully” who had “turned desperate” because he wasn’t making any progress in his campaign.
The action in Commonwealth Court alleged that Hoeffel wasn’t entitled to a place on the ballot because he had failed to collect the necessary 2,000 voter signatures, including at least 100 from each of 10 counties.