Specter leads Toomey by 6 in new poll

UPDATE APPENDED (See bottom)

For the second time in 10 days, Arlen Specter can say he’s winning.

Specter holds a six-point lead over Republican Pat Toomey, 47 percent to 41 percent, according to a new Research 2000 poll. The survey, conducted for the liberal Web site Daily Kos, found only 11 percent of voters undecided in the general election matchup between Specter and Toomey.

Although the vast majority of polling from the last several …

LGBT Community Leaders Endorse Senator Specter

By ARLEN SPECTER FOR CONGRESS

Philadelphia — Marking the launch of SpecterPride more than 65 Pennsylvanian LGBT leaders endorsed Senator Arlen Specter today at the William Way Center in Philadelphia.

SpecterPride is the statewide group of LGBT Pennsylvanians who are supporting Senator Specter’s re-election in 2010.

Mark Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News said, “Our unprecedented, overwhelming support here today is meant to send a message. We believe strongly that the threat from the …

Montgomery County & Philadelphia’s 8th Ward Endorse Joe Hoeffel for Governor

By JOE HOEFFEL 2010

March 12, 2010 – Democratic committee members in Philadelphia’s 8th Ward and Pennsylvania’s 3rd largest county – Montgomery County – voted last night to endorse Joe Hoeffel for governor of Pennsylvania.

The Eighth Ward located in Center City, Philadelphia, is another a key ward to endorse Hoeffel.  Last month Hoeffel was endorsed by the 9th ward, another high performing progressive Philadelphia ward.

8th Ward Leader Stephanie Singer said, “The Eighth Ward …

Key Philadelphia Legislator Tony Payton, Jr. Endorses Dan Onorato for Governor

By ONORATO FOR GOVERNOR

PHILADELPHIA:  Today, Philadelphia State Representative Tony Payton Jr. (D-179) threw his support to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato.  Payton’s endorsement reinforces the solid support Onorato has built in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

“I am pleased and honored to have the support of Representative Tony Payton,” Onorato said.  “As an emerging leader on such issues as education, public safety and renewable energy, Representative Payton has demonstrated his commitment to charting a new course in …

A big win for Trivedi in MontCo

PLYMOUTH MEETING—Congressional hopeful Manan Trivedi won the endorsement of Montgomery County Democrats Thursday night, capping a furious run in which Trivedi has gone from relatively late entrant into the race to the favorite of the party’s rank-and-file throughout the 6th District.

Trivedi, a Reading physician and Iraq War veteran, overwhelmingly beat out former Inquirer editorial writer Doug Pike for the endorsement, winning 77 votes to Pike’s 28. It was an even larger margin of victory …

Republicans pick Burns for 12th District special election

LATROBE—Wealthy businessman Tim Burns easily won the Republican Party’s nomination for special election in the 12th Congressional District Thursday, setting up a May 18 showdown with Democrat Mark Critz.

Burns captured well over a majority of the votes from local party insiders at Saint Vincent College here, beating military veteran Bill Russell 85-46, according to preliminary vote tallies. Russell vowed to fight on in the primary to be held that same day. For Republicans, Burns’ …

MontCo Dems forgo Senate endorsement

PLYMOUTH MEETING—Despite boisterous support from a contingent of Joe Sestak supporters, the Montgomery County Democratic Committee declined to endorse a candidate for Senate here Thursday.

The decision to forgo an endorsement means that sample ballots in the county will list the names of both Sestak and incumbent Senator Arlen Specter. Party insiders are now free to support either candidate in the May primary. It came after weeks of rumors that party leaders were jockeying to …

For Burns, Russell is out of sight and out of mind

LATROBE—Even as his opponent vows to press on and challenge him in the May primary, Republican businessman Tim Burns says he’s not thinking much about Bill Russell now.

“I can’t be concerned with what Bill decides to do,” Burns told reporters here Thursday, shortly after …

On home turf, Hoeffel easily wins MontCo endorsement

PLYMOUTH MEETING—Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel scored an easy endorsement win from his local Democratic Party Thursday night, beating out gubernatorial rival Dan Onorato by a five-to-one margin on a standing voice vote.

Hoeffel, who is underfunded and whose campaign has seemed lag of late, was widely expected to win on his home turf. No formal roll call vote was required during the county party’s endorsement convention at the Colonial Elementary School here.

“We need …

The three 12th District candidates who went nowhere

LATROBE—Bill Choby, Luke Summerfield and Ron Robertson all came here Thursday night to seek the GOP’s nomination in the 12th District special election. They addressed party insiders, patiently took their questions, and left the podium to polite applause.

But none of the three was formally nominated for consideration in the endorsement vote, ending their candidacies as quickly as they had started.

Choby, a Johnstown dentist who ran against John Murtha multiple times, had been expected …