GOP says internal poll shows Dent with big lead

Republicans say an internal poll of the 15th Congressional District race shows incumbent Republican Charlie Dent with a wide lead over his Democratic challenger, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan.

The poll, conducted by the Alexandria-based Tarrance Group, found Dent garnering 53 percent of the vote, compared to 27 percent for Callahan, according to a poll memo released by the National Republican Congressional Committee. Like other internal polling data released, the NRCC disclosed only the poll memo,…

January 26, 2010 at 6:55 pm | Comments (7)

Callahan says he has $625K on hand; outraises Dent (Updated)

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan said Thursday that his congressional campaign has more than $725,000 in the last five months, ending 2009 with more than $625,000 in the bank. The announcement was the latest indication that Callahan, a White House recruit for the Democrats, will be able to mount a well-funded challenge against Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15).

Callahan’s campaign raised about $345,000 in the third quarter—

January 14, 2010 at 5:00 pm | Comments (7)

Dueling radio ads in the 15th District

The race in the 15th Congressional District is heating up, as both parties take to the air to fight for a seat that Democrats are determined to capture and Republicans are looking to hold.

The National Republican Congressional Committee went up with a radio-ad styled as a “Night Before Christmas” poem about 2002.

The ad starts: “Twas two nights before Christmas, when in Bethlehem, John Callahan was voting, again and again. An increase he supported,…

December 15, 2009 at 2:30 pm | Comments (3)

Dent: Callahan is ‘our target’

NEW YORK—Democrats have made no secret of their burning desire to unseat Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15), with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee signaling that the Lehigh Valley representative is one of their top targets. They even brought in the White House to prod Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan into the race.

But Dent says he’s ready.

“I look forward ot this challenge against Mayor Callahan, who has a record that’s easily exploitable,” Dent told pa2010.com during…

December 12, 2009 at 9:54 pm | Comments (7)

DNC buying radio ads against Gerlach, Dent

The Democratic National Committee said Monday that it was buying radio ads attacking Congressmen Jim Gerlach (R-6) and Charlie Dent (R-15) in the party’s latest attempt to make health care reform a winning issue in 2010.

The ads, which the DNC said would go on the air in the next couple days, criticize the incumbent Republicans for voting against the health care reform legislation that recently passed the House.

Gerlach is not running for reelection,…

November 16, 2009 at 2:50 pm | Comments (8)

3 lessons learned and 3 questions raised in the 3rd quarter (Updated)

The numbers are in, digested and covered to death.

So with third quarter FEC reports squarely in the rear-view mirror, pa2010.com returns to the big picture. With that in mind, we offer up the most important lessons learned from the early fundraising hauls, along with the questions still to be answered.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Joe Sestak has work to do. The fact that the Democratic Senate hopeful full story

October 19, 2009 at 1:53 pm | Comments (14)

Callahan outraised Dent in 3Q

This is what Democrats were hoping for.

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, widely considered the best candidate the party has ever recruited to take on Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15), outraised his incumbent opponent in the third quarter, turning in what was arguably the best fundraising performance of any House challenger in the state.

Callahan raised about $346,000 in the three-month period that ended Sept. 30, his first quarter in the race, according to

October 18, 2009 at 1:02 am | Comments (2)

Callahan camp says it raised $345K

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan appears to have stormed out of the gate in his bid to unseat Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15), with his campaign saying Wednesday that it had racked up about $345,000 since he entered the race in July.

Callahan is widely considered the strongest Democrat to take on Dent so far, and his early fundraising totals would seem to solidify that perception. The campaign said it had about $325,000 on hand at the…

October 14, 2009 at 11:59 am | Comments (3)

Dent on GOP’s list of vulnerable incumbents

Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) is on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s list of five vulnerable incumbents who will benefit from its coming “Patriot Day” fundraiser,

October 8, 2009 at 12:21 pm | Comments (4)

Not so suddenly, Pa. becomes ground zero for competitive House races

First, Joe Sestak left his seat open to take on Arlen Specter. Then, Jim Gerlach said goodbye to his hard-to-defend seat to pOh, and there’s still those a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2009/08/for-dems-in-conservative-districts-2010-could-be-a-rough-ride/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2009%2F08%2Ffor-dems-in-conservative-districts-2010-could-be-a-rough-ride%2F','freshman+and+sophomore+Democrats+who+have+to+defend+conservative+districts')" target="_blank">freshman and sophomore Democrats who have to defend…

October 6, 2009 at 9:33 am | Comments (1)