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Watkins dropping out of Lt. Gov. race
Joe Watkins was set to withdraw from the race for Lieutenant Governor Tuesday evening, 10 days after he failed the win the Republican State Committee’s endorsement for the office.
Watkins, who planned to notify state committee members of his decision of an e-mail, was seen by many as the only candidate who could run a viable campaign against the party’s endorsed candidate, Bucks County Commissioner Jim Cawley. In an interview with pa2010.com, he said it’s a “good time to do other things.”
“I’m appreciative to have taken part in the [endorsement] process,” he said, “but I’m not going to take part in the primary.”
Former Lancaster County GOP chairman Chet Beiler, York County businessman Steve Johnson and reform leader Russ Diamond have all said they are staying in the race. But thanks in part to his fundraising ability, his appeal to the conservative grassroots and media skills honed as a frequent pundit on cable TV, Watkins was considered the greatest threat to Cawley.
A longtime political operative, businessman and north Philadelphia pastor, Watkins ran for the GOP Senate nomination in 1994 but lost to Rick Santorum. He has recently been a contributor on MSNBC, and after taking a leave to focus on his campaign, he said he hopes to return to the airwaves soon.
February 23, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Tags: Chet Beiler, Jim Cawley, Joe Watkins, Lt. Gov., Russ Diammond, Steve Johnson
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Watkins out of Lt. Gov. race… | GrassrootsPA
Feb 23rd, 2010
[...] Watkins out of Lt. Gov. race… [...]
Run Watkins Run
Feb 23rd, 2010
Watkins should run for Mayor of Philly in 2011. Would be a great way to have Canuso and Meehan save face.
LarryPa
Feb 23rd, 2010
Sad day for PA Republicans- I will still work at NOT electing Cawley. Bad for Mont. County BAD for PA
Bill
Feb 23rd, 2010
Is Guzzardi still running? I think so…not that he has a chance.
ItTrueDat
Feb 23rd, 2010
Are you in the tank for Watkins or what?!? Amazingly incorrect, you kept on saying that it was between Cawley and Watkins – but Beiler got second place! What’s up with that?!? It was NEVER close so why are you writing this ‘conventional wisdom’ crap when your other ‘conventional wisdom’ was so wrong?
Brett
Feb 24th, 2010
Watkins was NEVER in the rsce and mayor for phila, give me a break!
Anonymous
Feb 24th, 2010
So there you have sports fans. Joe Watkins is out of the race.
If he learned any lessons from his run of 2010, which one hopes he did, things might work well for him elsewhere.
He could potentially be a major factor in Republican politics for many years to come.
Maybe……
Steve
Feb 24th, 2010
I was proud to support Joe and will again if he decides to run again.
Mancini
Feb 25th, 2010
Dont get me started on Guzzradi………
Doc Coleman
Mar 30th, 2010
Say it ain’t so Joe….We need your quality and class in leadership for Pa. We’ll get it next time buddy~!
Anonymous
Jul 12th, 2010
Ran for Lt. Gov, gracefully exited, now runs a School Choice PAC, raising money, Watkins is positioning himself as a powerbroker. Where does this all lead one wonders. You get the sense that he’s not done yet…