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Fitzpatrick starts campaign with significant infrastructure
LANGHORNE—If the cadre of aides who were on hand here Saturday for Republican Mike Fitzpatrick’s announcement were any indication, the former congressman is no amateur candidate.
While he has yet to hire a day-to-day campaign manager for his rematch against Democrat Patrick Murphy, Fitzpatrick has a campaign chair, a consulting firm running the campaign as it ramps up, a communications consultant handling local press, a media consultant in Washington and political and field directors already getting to work. Put together, the staff is a much more potent campaign infrastructure than most challengers typically start with. And it underscores the extent to which the GOP has, in Fitzpatrick, a far more viable challenge to Murphy than any of the other numerous Republican candidates in the race represent.
“This will not be the first campaign that I’ve run,” Fitzpatrick told pa2010.com when asked about how quickly he had staffed up. “I know a lot of people. And this is just the start. You’re going to see thousands of volunteers with maximum door-to-door campaigning.”
The campaign is being run by Mike Long and Todd Nyquist, the veteran GOP operatives who recently started their own Harrisburg consulting shop. Local communications are being handled by Pete Peterson, the Philadelphia-based consultant who is the press point-person for numerous Republican candidates and party organizations. For more general media and advertising strategy, Fitzpatrick is getting advice from Michael Hudome, a Washington-based consultant who has done television work for John McCain. And political directors for specific areas are getting started, including Beth Hegedus, a local committeewoman in Montgomery County and a pa2010.com blogger.
“Mike’s going to run a campaign that focuses on jobs and keeping government hands out of our pockets,” Nyquist said.
January 23, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Tags: Mike Fitzpatrick, PA-8, Patrick Murphy
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ha
Jan 23rd, 2010
Great. Just what we want. A political hack being managed by a bunch of political operatives. Why does this leave me uninspired?
Bucks Voter
Jan 23rd, 2010
Not too excited about Fitzpatrick. Would prefer a new face and voice for the local GOP … but with same old, same old unimaginative local GOP leadership, what do you expect? While this will no doubt keep the local GOP leadership happy, independents (like me) won’t get excited and it probably means Murphy will win in November (though I expect it will be very close). Fitzpatrick = no crossover vote.
The Jungle
Jan 24th, 2010
He was a rubber stamp for Bush’s deficit spending and always held the party line.
413er
Jan 24th, 2010
Jungle, how would you classify the current holder of the seat in the 8th?
The Jungle
Jan 25th, 2010
We could argue over the spending and healthcare but I think the one important thing that Murphy has is military experience. On the ground in country combat experience. We have vivid and recent examples of what happens when you let chicken hawks run the country. We need military people in government controlling war lust. Iraq was a huge mistake let’s not repeat it.
413er
Jan 25th, 2010
Jungle, if Military Experience is so important, shouldnt McCain have beat Obama?
The Jungle
Jan 25th, 2010
Yes if military experience was the only factor. McCain has a whole boat load of bad.
413er
Jan 26th, 2010
Jungle, are you refuting yourself? To quote you
“I think the one important thing that Murphy has is military experience. On the ground in country combat experience. We have vivid and recent examples of what happens when you let chicken hawks run the country. We need military people in government controlling war lust.”
How does the president now in office, with no military experience square with your original statement?
The Jungle
Jan 26th, 2010
It is not a litmus test just part of my decision process.
Concerns about Congress | Snowflakes in Hell
Feb 4th, 2010
[...] Fitzpatrick made the case to PA2010.com that he would be the best candidate because of a serious lead on a campaign infrastructure and experience. If this is the kind of goofy & sloppy campaign we can expect with all of that experience on board, then Fitzpatrick has moved this race closer to the Solid Dem category. [...]
ha
Feb 5th, 2010
Murphy has “on the ground in country combat experience”? I thought he was a JAG. I thought the “on the ground, in country combat experience” was sort of an “embellishment,” like so much of what he says.