The race to replace retiring Sen. John Pippy has been one of the nastiest campaigns in the state this primary cycle, with Raja smacking Rep. Mark Mustio over his 2005 vote for the pay raise, and Mustio blasting Raja for outsourcing. These are their closing ads.
It may result in a situation akin to the 2008 primary victory by now-Congressman GT Thompson (R-Centre). He eked out an 800 vote win in the 9-man race to replace retiring Rep. John Peterson while Matt Shaner and Derek Walker each spent over a million dollars to beat each other up.
In this case, homeschoolers’ advocate Sue Means may benefit. The third GOPer in the race, she stayed out of the fray so far. There is no Democrat on the ballot.
Raja’s internals have him up, and a few Allegheny politicos spoke out on his behalf against Mustio’s “racially tinged” ads which emphasize Raja’s Indian heritage (in case his name didn’t do that enough).
“I also have been disappointed by the campaign run by his opponent. The attacks have crossed the line,” said Allegheny County Councilwoman Heather Heidelbaugh. “I intended to stay neutral but these attacks require our party to stand up and say enough is enough. I know we can do better and that is why I enthusiastically support Raja for State Senate.”
A Raja spokesperson said one of his closing ads was all positive, the other was 75 percent positive.
Mustio rejects Raja’s pay raise attack ad, noting he never took a dime of it. One of his closing ads defends against those (like effective) attacks; the other continues to hammer Raja’s company but does not play up the India angle. Most of the charges echo those made by Raja’s 2011 County Exec opponent Rich Fitzgerald. Mustio also notes that he has Pippy’s endorsement.
Here are the ads:
Update: Here’s the latest mailer from the Mustio campaign, which helpfully spells out Raja’s first name. Dakshinamurthy Raja is his legal name; D. Raja is what appears on the ballot.
We’ll update with Raja’s ads when we get them. Update: Here’s Raja’s ad in which he defends against the outsourcing charge.
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3 Responses
Raja is clueless and dishonest about his company. The Senate will chew him up and spit him out. If the current proposed maps stick he will have to move to the new 37th District or step down and run against Wayne Fontana in 2014.
I am speechless. I cannot remember the last time I agreed wholeheartedly with Bob Guzzardi.
Citizens Alliance for Pennsylvania (CAP) http://www.empowerpa.org/mustio-racist-mailers.php informed its membership around the state of this despicably bigoted and nasty ad.
Mike Long has to go. This is over the top. My own mother had to put up with this kind of thing.
Mustio is desperate and disgusting. Mr. Raja is, exactly, the kind of person we want to attract to our country. Mr. Raja is more of an American than bigots like Mike Long and Mark Mustio.
Compare Mark Mustio/Mike Long’s opportunistic, phony rhetoric with the reality of his record. Mark Mustio and his Senate Bonusgate team are not The Forgotten Taxpayer’s BFF. http://www.scribd.com/doc/88814605/Rhetoric-Reality-Mark-Mustio
CAP is needed more than ever to defeat the Mark Mustios of Pennsylvania and there are many.