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Considering Senate bid, Gerlach will continue ‘listening’

Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6), who is emerging as one of the lead GOP contenders to run for Senate in Arlen Specter’s place despite his expressed interest in the governorship, says people are encouraging him to enter the race—but that he’s still just listening.

In a statement from his office (hat tip to GrassrootsPA), Gerlach said: “I will continue to travel the Commonwealth considering future opportunities to serve, while listening and promoting a Republican rebirth in Pennsylvania to rebuild our Party into one of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Full statement below:

(Exton, PA) – Congressman Jim Gerlach released the following statement today after Senator Arlen Specter’s switch to the Democrat Party:

“For the past three months as I have been exploring a statewide bid for Governor, I have talked to many Pennsylvanians about the need to reinvigorate and reenergize the Pennsylvania Republican Party with bold, new, and fresh ideas on how to deal with the problems facing our families and communities.

“What is most important right now is that all of us who consider ourselves leaders in Pennsylvania’s Republican Party, as well as those interested in the future of a viable, competitive party, get to work immediately on reviving our Party and broadening our appeal among general election voters. It’s a simple fact that Republicans now face a 1.2 million voter registration deficit statewide, a deficit that has grown by over 600,000 registrations since 2004.

“The reason for the decline is not a result of any one thing, person, or election, but rather Republicans forgetting what the Party must represent to voters if we are going to win statewide elections. We’ve forgotten that, above all, the Pennsylvania Republican Party must be the party of new ideas and solutions for smaller, more efficient government, and advocate for policies that encourage job creation, educational opportunities, retirement security, and a quality of life second to none for all of our citizens.

“I will continue to travel the Commonwealth considering future opportunities to serve, while listening and promoting a Republican rebirth in Pennsylvania to rebuild our Party into one of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

April 30, 2009 at 12:59 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Arlen Specter, Jim Gerlach, PA-6

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