Butler businessman wants to challenge Dahlkemper

Butler County businessman Mike Kelly declared his candidacy for the GOP nomination to take on Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3) on Wednesday, becoming the sixth Republican to vie for the chance to challenge the freshman lawmaker.

“After much deliberation, prayer, and conversation with my family I decided that I could not sit by and watch our county move further and further away from the values and concerns of every day people,” Kelly said in a statement.

Kelly joins a crowded GOP primary field, including one candidate, businessman Paul Huber, who has already raised more than $100,000. With less than four months before primary day he is starting relatively late, but some consider him a leading contender for the party’s nomination.

“He’s been thinking about running for a while,” GOP political consultant Ray Zaborney told pa2010.com. “I don’t think he’s late. He’s coming at a time to beat Dahlkemper, and many people have been telling him that he’s their candidate.”

Also running are insurance agent Steven Fisher, factory worker Ed Franz, Tea Party activist Clayton Grabb and Elaine Surma, an employee in the state Attorney General’s office. Dahlkemper knocked off seven-term incumbent Republican Phil English in 2008. As a freshman Democrat in a conservative-leaning district, Dahlkemper would seem to be the most vulnerable House Democrat on paper. Until Kelly, the GOP hadn’t fielded a candidate considered to have relatively deep party support.