In defeat for Lentz, judge’s ruling keeps Meehan on the ballot

Pat Meehan will be on the Republican primary ballot next month.

A state judge on Thursday tossed out parts of a challenge seeking to keep him off the ballot, making it impossible to prove in court that the former U.S. Attorney doesn’t have enough valid signatures to run in the 7th Congressional District. By Friday afternoon, the campaign of Meehan’s Democratic opponent, which spearheaded the challenge, had decided not to appeal the ruling by Commonwealth …

April 9, 2010 at 7:34 pm | Comments (21)

LEFTOVERS: Another guv poll, Murtha’s PAC, a Hoyer roundup

The attention Wednesday was on the Quinnipiac poll that showed—once again— pMeanwhile, political activity continues for the late John Murtha’s campaign committee. Even though Murtha passed away earlier this year, emPolitico/em a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35498.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.politico.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com%2Fnews%2Fstories%2F0410%2F35498.html','reports')" target="_blank">reports that his political action committee is still winding down business, in part by donating to his longtime aide Mark Critz, who’s running for Murtha’s western Pennsylvania seat. The committee, Majority PAC, gave Critz’s campaign $10,000.

And we never got around to telling you what went on when House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer swung through the state on Tuesday. First, he chatted with Bethlehem …

April 7, 2010 at 10:35 pm | Comments (1)

Conner drops out of 7th District primary

Environmental lawyer Gail Conner has withdrawn from the Democratic primary in the 7th Congressional District, leaving just one candidate between front-runner Bryan Lentz and the party’s nomination.

When Conner entered the race in November, some party insiders thought her longstanding ties to area churches could make her a formidable candidate. But she never raised any significant amount of money, nor did she build much of a campaign on the ground. Her spot on the ballot …

April 7, 2010 at 12:44 pm | Comments (6)

Hoyer pitching in for Callahan and Lentz on Tuesday

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will be in Pennsylvania Tuesday to lend a hand to two of the Democrats’ top congressional candidates.

Hoyer’s trip starts in Allentown, where he’ll join Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan for an education policy roundtable at Muhlenberg College at 1:15 p.m. Callahan is running against Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15).

He’ll then join state Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) at Delaware County Community College for a press conference about Lentz’s legislation to establish …

April 5, 2010 at 5:35 pm | Comments (3)

Meehan circulators also gathered signatures for Corbett

Republicans who gathered signatures to get Pat Meehan on the ballot for Congress also circulated nominating petitions for Attorney General and gubernatorial hopeful Tom Corbett, according to public records.

The revelation, first …

April 2, 2010 at 3:00 pm | Comments (14)

Lentz asks feds to investigate Meehan’s petitions

PHILADELPHIA—State Representative Bryan Lentz (D-7) said Thursday that only a truly independent investigator can credibly examine the problems with Republican opponent Pat Meehan’s nominating petitions, and he called for the U.S. Department of Justice to pick up the investigation.

During a late-morning news conference in front of the federal courthouse here, Lentz spoke more directly and more forcefully than before about the evidence of fraudulent and invalid signatures his campaign uncovered in poring through the …

April 1, 2010 at 3:45 pm | Comments (39)

Ridge headlines fundraiser, endorses Meehan

Tom Ridge was in Delaware County this week to pitch in for Pat Meehan.

The former governor headlined a fundraiser for the Republican congressional hopeful Tuesday night in Springfield. An invitation to the event at the Springfield Country Club put it as a $500 per person affair, with V.I.P.s dropping $2,000.

In a campaign statement, Ridge praised Meehan, the party’s candidate in the 7th District.

“Pat Meehan will provide the leadership we need in Congress …

March 31, 2010 at 7:59 am | Comments (32)

AFL-CIO backs Pike, others in contested House primaries

The statewide AFL-CIO has made its picks for Congress.

The umbrella labor organization endorsed five candidates in Democratic primaries when its Executive Council met Tuesday. Perhaps most notable was the AFL-CIO’s backing for 6th District hopeful Doug Pike, who is locked in the party’s most competitive House nominating contest against Manan Trivedi. Pike already enjoyed deeper labor support than Trivedi, and despite Trivedi’s recent surge of local party support, the AFL-CIO endorsement effectively puts the …

March 30, 2010 at 2:07 pm | Comments (3)

Lentz camp says AG shouldn’t be investigating Meehan’s petitions either

With a court showdown looming, Democrat Bryan Lentz’s campaign says it agrees with the l…

March 30, 2010 at 10:17 am | Comments (18)

Local investigation of Meehan’s petitions is kicked to state AG

The Delaware County District Attorney who was looking into Republican congressional hopeful Pat Meehan’s nominating petitions has forwarded the investigation to the state Attorney General’s office.

District Attorney Mike Green has asked Attorney General Tom Corbett to take over, The Delaware County Daily Times a court challenge spearheaded by Meehan’s Democratic opponent has shined a wider spotlight on Meehan’s petitions, while also seeking to keep him off the ballot.

It’s unclear exactly why Green decided …

March 29, 2010 at 4:06 pm | Comments (15)