By Alex Roarty
PoliticsPA Staff Writer
roarty@politicspa.com

Joe Hoeffel on Thursday said Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter’s endorsement of Anthony Hardy Williams’ gubernatorial bid was borne out of politics, not principle, while pointing out the state senator’s platform contradicts one of his office’s major initiatives.

“I understand the realities of Philadelphia politics,” Hoeffel said in a statement. “But I am surprised that the Mayor would support a candidate whose primary goal, shared by his principal funders, is to use public money for private school vouchers. I believe that using tax dollars for private school vouchers would greatly weaken public education and would be a direct threat to the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania public schools.”

Williams has defined his candidacy in part as an unequivocal advocate for school-choice programs, a view that clashes with liberal orthodoxy. Hoeffel, in contrast, has positioned himself as a liberal champion to attract voters who might find the other candidates, like Williams, Auditor General Jack Wagner and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, too conservative.