MONDAY LEFTOVERS: A Toomey fundraiser, Knox talks utilities & Trivedi’s a Fellow

A well-placed reader told pa2010.com Central that Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey was in downtown Philly Monday morning for a fundraiser at The Union League. Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) was supposed to be the headliner, further underscoring Toomey’s now almost universal support among party leaders. But with health care reform legislation still before the Senate, Kyl got tied up in Washington.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Knox is keeping up his emphasis on the critical need to stop looming utility rate hikes in the state. This has been one of Knox’s signature issues from the get-go, and this week he’ll be upping the ante with two events. The first is a press conference Tuesday afternoon in Harrisburg during which Knox will detail his plan to “fight power companies from jacking up their rates and profits, hurting homeowners and threatening jobs.” The second is a community forum and dinner Wednesday evening in Bethlehem.

And Manan Trivedi, a Democrat running in the 6th Congressional District, got some nice news. His campaign said Monday morning that Trivedi was named a Truman National Security Fellow, an award for “professionals who show early promise to become our country’s future progressive leadership.”

“I am honored to have been invited to join such a prestigious program,” Trivedi said. “As an Iraq War veteran, I believe I have a unique perspective on the most pressing national security issues facing America. I look forward to joining others from various backgrounds and perspectives in the hopes of shaping our country’s policy for generations to come.”