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Saidel camp warns guv candidates not to go looking for a Lt. Gov. deal

Former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel’s campaign has a stern warning for any gubernatorial candidates thinking they might be able to leverage their exit from the race for a spot on the ticket as Lieutenant Governor:

Don’t even try it.

Saidel has been laying the groundwork for over a year and will formally announce his candidacy for Lt. Gov. Monday afternoon. But responding to increased speculation that a candidate for governor could join Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato on a Democratic ticket, Saidel campaign spokesman Marty Marks said Thursday that there was no room for such maneuvering.

“It would be a fool’s errand,” Marks said in an interview. “It would be a significant political mistake. It would alienate Philadelphia political leaders and rank-and-file voters, and it would seriously jeopardize the ticket’s chance of winning. … We know how important it is to drive a big turnout in Philadelphia, and there is no one who can make that happen like Jonathan Saidel.

“There’s really no room at the inn,” he added.

While numerous Republicans have battled for a spot on their party’s gubernatorial ticket, Saidel has effectively been running unopposed. While several Democrats have considered the race, Saidel got his first primary opponent only recently, when former Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner ditched her Senate run in favor of a campaign for Lt. Gov. But Saidel, widely considered an energetic campaigner with established political relationships across the state, has been collecting labor endorsements and raising money for more than a year, making for a formidable head start against any candidate who would challenge him. Marks said the campaign had about $750,000 in cash on hand at the end of last year, more than at least one candidate for governor.

In his warning message, delivered to pa2010.com unprompted to “address some of the speculation I’ve seen from various reporters and columnists,” Marks was not explicit about who it was meant to reach. But it could really only be intended for Chris Doherty. The Scranton mayor is running for governor, and while his campaign has consistently waved off any speculation that he would settle for a second-tier spot on the ticket, speculation has only built that party leaders who favor Onorato will eventually pressure him to do just that. A similar scenario has occasionally been floated about Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, though nowhere near as frequently.

“Jonathan Saidel has been running for Lt. Gov., working all across the state,” Marks said. “We believe we’ve tied up most of the key constituencies of the Democratic Party, the key political leaders, raised a good deal of money—and not that we have the race sowed up because the voters have the ultimate say down the road, but we believe we’re in a good spot.

“To speculate that somehow he would get out of the race or eased out or even be defeated is just nonsense,” Marks added. “The only way Jonathan Saidel gets out of the race is if he decides he’s gonna run for governor, and that’s not on the table right now.”

January 21, 2010 at 3:45 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Chris Doherty, Dan Onorato, Doris Smith-Ribner, Jonathan Saidel, Lt. Gov.

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