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Rohrer Comes Around

Sam Rohrer, the former state lawmaker who rode his grassroots conservative support to a second place finish in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate primary, has thrown his support behind GOP nominee Tom Smith.

“I congratulate Tom Smith on his victory. He is now our Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in the General election. I have offered him my support and counsel and I encourage others to support him as we endeavor to take back the Senate from the control of Harry Reid and his enablers,” Rohrer wrote in an email to supporters.

Rohrer had been less warm to Smith in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday’s vote. In his concession speech, he criticized the role of party endorsements and money in the process.

This is the second thwarted statewide run for Rohrer. He challenged Tom Corbett for Governor in 2010 to be outdone by the party and establishment. This time, he was overcome by the superior financial resources of Smith.

Smith is a former coal company owner from Armstrong County; all told he contributed over $5 million to his successful effort. Rohrer’s other rival, Chester County entrepreneur Steve Welch, had the endorsement of the Pa. Republican Party and Gov. Tom Corbett.

Welch was forthcoming with his support for Smith on Tuesday.

“I also want to congratulate David Christian, Marc Scaringi, and Steve Welch for stepping out into the arena. Each brought with them unique though diverse talents, history, experience and service. Only in this great nation can individuals step onto the political landscape and have a chance of winning the prize and assuming the duty that comes with serving in public office,” Rohrer added in his email.

At least Smith is further along than Corbett, as far as Rohrer is concerned. After his 2010 primary defeat, Rohrer was far less up front about his support for the nominee. He did little, if anything, to stifle rumors of a write-in campaign for him.

14 Responses

  1. Mary, I’m on your side, I think you meant to comment to John P.

    The people voted last Tuesday… Now let’s send Mr. Smith to Washington!
    Sam, Steve, Save and Marc have all proclaimed their support for Tom Smith! This is just the kind of support that any candidate would be proud to have.

  2. Sen Bob “98%” Casey is in trouble in November; he is facing a tsunami of principled grassroots voters with money to get their message out to uninformed voters.

    What’s Bob Casey’s message “trillions more and no jobs”?

  3. Sam Rohrer had an important victory on 24 April. Sam demonstrated the power of ideas and his own personal exceptional ability to articulate those ideas with passion and clarity. The grassroots organization that supported him, supported a man and his ideas.

    That Sam would now support a candidate who shares his values is no surprise. Sam is not a mean spirited, narrow or selfish man as those 1000s who know him can attest.

  4. ditto Mary.

    Anyone who meets Tom Smith knows, immediately, that he or she is speaking someone who is instinctively conservative, Tom Smith is consistently centered on the Constitution, Limited Government, Economic Freedom, Free Markets, and Values based on Judeo-Christian tradition.

    Tom Smith has never taken any money from the government. Tom Smith was, and is, a job creator, who meets a payroll and pays taxes.

    So, he was registered a Democrat. Democrats vote in the general election. This is a plus in general because it demonstrates that although Tom Smith founded and financed the Armstrong Indiana Counties Tea Party, he is not a crazed right wing ideologue.

    Tom Smith is a modest, down to earth, unpretentious farmer who got rich by working, saving and investing and who, still, wears cowboy boots and works his farm.

    We are fortunate to have a citizen willing to engage in electoral politics on our behalf.

    The Forgotten Taxpayer says “thank you, Tom”

  5. Rick, Why do you continue to beat a dead horse. Tom Smith contributed close of a half million dollars to conservative REPUBLICAN candidtes and organizations such as the the Heritage Foundation, Commonwealth Foundation and candidates including Sen. Pat Toomey and Sam Rohrer in his previous endeavors.

    WAKE UP, our goal is to take back the U.S. Senate. You cannot do that by voting against our Republican candidate for the Senate!

  6. The Pa Republican Party leaves much to be desired. Since the time Lynn Swan ran for Governor this Party has been noticeably disorganized, inept, and ineffective.
    What Sam Rohrer has managed to accomplish in his past two runs is to uncover the fact that we must clean house of PA Republican Party officials. It is well past the time members take back our Party.

  7. @Mark E Mark. Yes but only because of the money advantage not the policies.

  8. @JohnP I get your point but didn’t most people already vote for Tom Smith over Sam Rohrer?

  9. ‘Atta boy Sam, and congratulations on a spirited campaign. Clock’s a-tickin’, Bob — Mr. Smith is going to Washington.

  10. @Rick I’m saying that Tom Smith is not a Republican he has been a Democrat for 42 years and he was a Democrat as an elected Plum Creek Township Supervisor in Armstrong County. Most people would rather write in a real Republican like Sam Rohrer.

  11. Kudos to Sam Rohrer. Hats off to Sam’s supporters who worked so hard and passionately to get Sam the nomination.

    Both Tom Smith’s AND Sam Rohrer’s supporters turned out and beat the endorsed candidate. That is no small feat. The shock waves are only in their first wave.

    Each candidate who ran played a part in taking away votes in crucial areas of the state and it was a team effort and a team victory for those who were out to make a change in the way the PA GOP does business.

    Sam Rohrer again proved what I’ve said all along, he is a fine man, and he will continue to serve the cause of liberty on the Commonwealth and beyond.

  12. @John P., What you are saying is that you would rather see Bob Casey win in November. We must unite behind Tom Smith if we plan on replacing Bob Casey!

  13. Sam, thank you for your scrappy, spirited efforts to win the nomination. Here’s to hoping that Sam, Marc, Steve & David all stay in the game & continue to lend their time & talents to the restoration of our constitutional Republic.

    Now let’s send Mr. Smith to Washington.

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