Refund Watch: $31K in Specter donor refunds

A total of 29 people have requested refunds of their donations to Senator Arlen Specter since he switched parties earlier this week, his campaign manager said Friday.

The refund requests total $31,500 so far, Christopher Nicholas said

Log on to pa2010.com for continued coverage of who is asking for their money back, who isn’t, and why.

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May 1, 2009 at 6:12 pm | Comments (2)

Gerlach aide says phone is ‘ringing off-the-hook’

A political adviser to Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) says his boss’ phone has been “ringing off-the-hook” with people encouraging him to run for Senate.

Gerlach is exploring a run for Governor, and Mark Campbell, his chief political consultant, said that exploratory run is continuing. But with the dust still settling from Senator Arlen Specter’s defection to the Democrats, Gerlach seems to be emerging as the Republican most likely to take his place in the race.…

May 1, 2009 at 12:33 pm | Comments (4)

Casey backing Specter

Senator Bob Casey had been surprisingly quiet ever since his Republican colleague Arlen Specter said he would switch sides and run for reelection as a Democrat.

But during an appearance on the Bill Press Show this morning, he made it clear that, like the rest of the state’s Democratic establishment, he’s behind Specter (hat tip to Politico).

“I’ll support him and it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have some work to do to go around…

May 1, 2009 at 10:48 am | Comments (8)

Kortz: ‘I’m still in it’

Bill Kortz says he’s not going anywhere.

The Allegheny County state Representative told pa2010.com that while he is reevaluating his strategy in light of Senator Arlen Specter’s decision to switch parties, he still has every intention of running for the Democratic Senate primary.

“Nothing changes,” Kortz said.

He said reaction among voters to Specter’s switch had not been nearly as enthusiastic as the jubilation expressed by party insiders. And while he was hesitant to criticize…

April 30, 2009 at 2:51 pm | Comments (0)

Roddey backs Toomey

With moderate Republicans grasping for a candidate to replace Senator Arlen Specter, Allegheny County GOP Chairman Jim Roddey says he’s

April 30, 2009 at 2:46 pm | Comments (0)

Considering Senate bid, Gerlach will continue ‘listening’

Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6), who is emerging as one of the lead GOP contenders to run for Senate in Arlen Specter’s place despite his expressed interest in the governorship, says people are encouraging him to enter the race—but that he’s still just listening.

In a statement from his office (hat tip to GrassrootsPA), Gerlach said: “I will continue to travel the Commonwealth considering future opportunities to serve, while listening and promoting a Republican rebirth in…

April 30, 2009 at 12:59 pm | Comments (6)

Another ‘casualty’ of Specter’s switch: A defunct poll

G. Terry Madonna was planning to release his latest poll this morning, which would have—not surprisingly—shown Senator Arlen Specter struggling among Republican voters.

So much for that.

Specter on Tuesday said he would switch parties, making the poll mostly—though not entirely—useless.

“I’ve never had it happen in 18 years of polling that we had a poll we couldn’t release,” Madonna told pa2010.com.

But Madonna, a pollster at Franklin & Marshall College, isn’t bitter about the…

April 30, 2009 at 12:37 pm | Comments (4)

Specter: 15 requests for donation refunds so far

Little-noticed in Senator Arlen Specter’s statement that he would switch parties was a pledge to

April 30, 2009 at 10:57 am | Comments (0)

Torsella: Rendell hasn’t asked me to bow out

Contradicting reports that emerged late Wednesday morning, the Senate campaign of Joe Torsella told pa010.com that Gov. Ed Rendell has not asked Torsella to exit the Democratic primary in favor of Arlen Specter.

Rendell and President Obama have both signaled that they’ll back Specter, who said he would

April 29, 2009 at 3:07 pm | Comments (7)

Sestak seen as most likely to run against Specter in primary

With the Democratic Party seemingly lining up behind Senator Arlen Specter at the state and national levels, Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) has emerged as the most likely candidate to buck party leaders and run against Specter, party insiders and political analysts say.

While Democrats across the state were issuing statements in support of Specter’s decision to Full Story

April 29, 2009 at 1:47 pm | Comments (22)