Schenker drops out of Lt. Gov. race

Former Erie County Executive Rick Schenker has withdrawn from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor, narrowing a field that remains crowded a month before GOP leaders meet to make a formal endorsement next month.

In a message on his Web site, Schenker said that “my employment and economic circumstances have changed drastically causing me to look for employment all over the country.”

“If my future employment allows me to stay in Pennsylvania,” Schenker said, “I will continue to support the most viable efforts to challenge corruption in Harrisburg, and I will do everything possible to help elect a Governor that will make reform a top priority.”

Though about a dozen candidates are still running, Republican Party insiders increasingly see Bucks County Commissioner Jim Cawley, Chester County Commissioner Carol Aichele and political operative Joe Watkins as the leading GOP contenders to partner on a ticket with presumptive gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett. Aichele suffered a setback this week when party leaders in the southeast endorsed Cawley’s candidacy over hers, but her campaign has continued to court insider support ahead of the Republican State Committee meeting next month. Grassroots conservatives, meanwhile, are increasingly voicing displeasure at the thought of either Cawely or Aichele on a ticket with Corbett, preferring Watkins as an alternative candidate.