Specter, Kortz addressing Philly Dems tonight

Senator Arlen Specter will be speaking at the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee’s spring dinner tonight.

It will be one of his first appearances before a local Democratic Party organization, albeit in a city where many Democrats had long supported him even before he recently switched parties.

One of his primary opponents, state Representative Bill Kortz (D-Allegheny) is also scheduled to speak.

Log-on to pa2010.com this evening for live coverage.

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May 11, 2009 at 1:54 pm | Comments (0)

From the grassroots up, calls for a competitive Dem primary threaten to boil over

The dissension among party rank-and-file and liberal activists began almost immediately: Why, people wondered last week, was the Democratic Party settling for a longtime Republican when it could surely do better? That sentiment has only spread in the time since Senator Arlen Specter defected to the Democrats last week.

Now, grassroots demands for a competitive Senate primary are growing louder, and they threaten to embroil Gov. Ed Rendell and the leadership in an intra-party dispute…

May 6, 2009 at 8:50 am | Comments (10)

Specter easily tops Toomey in new poll; matchup with Ridge much closer

Newly Democratic Senator Arlen Specter was dreading his GOP contest against Pat Toomey, so much so that the longtime incumbent switched parties last week. But if new polling is any indication, Specter should be hoping he meets Toomey in a general election next year.

In the first full story

May 4, 2009 at 9:03 am | Comments (4)

Lamb: ‘I know I’m funnier than Al Franken’

Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb this week added his name to the list of Democrats willing to go up against Senator Arlen Specter and leaders in his new party, saying he’s

May 3, 2009 at 12:51 pm | Comments (1)

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)

Analyst on Senate race: ‘Where are the Democrats?’

With national attention focused squarely on the fierce GOP Senate primary, the Democratic field has been in a state of flux, with candidates leaning toward the race one day and away the next.

The result has been what most political insiders describe, at least for now, as a weak Democratic field. And with Republican Pat Toomey increasingly looking like a viable GOP nominee, at least one political watcher is wondering what’s taking Democrats so long…

April 27, 2009 at 4:41 pm | Comments (4)

Kortz: ‘Just an ordinary steel worker’

In his surprise campaign for U.S. Senate, state Representative Bill Kortz (D-Allegheny) has wasted no time in declaring himself the outsider candidate and seems determined to use his lack of experience in elected office as his biggest qualification.

“I’m just an ordinary steel worker, but I’m running for all the right reasons,” Kortz told pa2010.com a day after he

April 22, 2009 at 11:00 am | Comments (2)

Didn’t see that coming

I have to admit being completely blind-sided by state Representative Bill Kortz’s announcement that he’s going to run for Senate. I’ve been covering this race since the middle of last year, and NEVER have I heard his name mentioned.

I’m going to be reaching out to his people, but at first glance I have to assume he looked at the field, so no candidates from western Pennsylvania, and realized there was a constituency of voters…

April 21, 2009 at 11:41 am | Comments (0)

BREAKING NEWS: Kortz to run for Senate

State Representative Bill Kortz (D-Allegheny) will soon file paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, The Daily News in McKeesport reports.

Kortz is only the second Democrat to declare his candidacy, following former National Constitution Center CEO Joe Torsella. He is almost certain to be the only candidate from western Pennsylvania, which could give him a large amount of the primary vote uncontested. State Representative Josh Shapiro is also considering the race.

“I understand this is a monumental task and that I will be the underdog,” Kortz told The Daily News in a statement . “However, I am entering this race for all the right reasons.”

Kortz’s announcement is almost sure to catch the Capitol by surprise. His name as hardly, if ever, been mentioned as a possible Senate candidate.

April 21, 2009 at 10:59 am | Comments (1)