As expected Onorato & Corbett have big money leads

There were no real surprises as the first nuggets of state campaign finance data began to trickle out Monday.

In the race for governor, Democrat Dan Onorato and Republican Tom Corbett have no rivals in fundraising. Corbett, the Republican front-runner, raked in about $4.2 million in 2009, compared to $3.6 million collected by Onorato. But thanks in part to leftover funds from his 2007 county executive race, Onorato still finished the year with about $6.5…

February 1, 2010 at 11:56 pm | Comments (3)

Onorato tries to tamp down Lt. Gov. speculation

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato sought Monday quiet speculation that his political allies are looking to pair him on a gubernatorial ticket with Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty, insisting that “the only race I have been focused on is my own campaign for governor—not who is running for Lieutenant Governor.”

Onorato was apparently responding to reports

February 1, 2010 at 7:45 pm | Comments (7)

As chatter of an Onorato-Doherty ticket builds, a Saidel ally is ready to fight

At first, it seemed like nothing more than innocent speculation. A couple stories and columns mentioned that Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty could join Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato on a Democratic ticket for governor. Those pieces didn’t mention former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel, who had been preparing a campaign for Lieutenant Governor for well over a year. And Marty Marks, a spokesman and strategist for Saidel, didn’t like that.

So he called up seemingly…

February 1, 2010 at 7:40 pm | Comments (29)

Candidates court DelCo Dems

MEDIA—Candidates for Governor, Senate and Congress took turns addressing Delaware County Democrats here Sunday night, appearing in a crowded forum that brought Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) back to his home turf.

A day after he and Senator Arlen Specter both made their cases to liberal activists in Harrisburg, Sestak was back in his district talking up his anti-establishment message.

“We’re not Rendell-ites or Biden-ites,” Sestak said, referring to Specter’s support from the governor and the…

February 1, 2010 at 2:25 pm | Comments (3)

Dems court the liberal base on social, fiscal issues

HARRISBURG—The four Democratic candidates for governor came together for the first time in a public forum here Friday night, airing their positions on everything from taxes and job creation to abortion rights and same-sex marriage in front of a crowd of about 300 liberal activists.

The two-hour event at the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit saw the candidates mostly agree on many fiscal issues while disagreeing on some social issues. With the liberal wing of the party…

January 30, 2010 at 5:05 pm | Comments (6)

Doherty’s campaign manager out, he turns to sister (Updated)

HARRISBURG—Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty confirmed rumors Friday that his gubernatorial campaign manager was no longer on staff, and said his sister who ran his previous mayoral races had assumed the position.

Doherty said that Corey Platt, who had been managing the campaign the last few months, returned to Missouri. Platt could not be reached for comment, but Doherty called the parting of ways “very friendly.”

His sister, Virginia McGregor, is now running the campaign. Though…

January 29, 2010 at 11:30 pm | Comments (10)

Hoeffel jabs Doherty, Onorato on abortion

HARRISBURG—When Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel said that “consistency” is important regarding one’s stance on abortion-rights, it was fairly obvious who he was taking a poke at: his gubernatorial opponents Dan Onorato and Chris Doherty.

“They have straddled the issue,” Hoeffel charged in an interview after making the remark during a

January 29, 2010 at 11:15 pm | Comments (3)

Onorato leads a wide open primary

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato is leading the Democratic primary for governor, but almost three-quarters of voters remain undecided, according to a new poll.

The Franklin & Marshall College survey released Wednesday showed Onorato winning 10 percent of the vote, more than twice the support enjoyed by any other candidate in the race. But 72 percent of voters said they didn’t know who they would back come primary day. The poll of 443 registered Democrats…

January 27, 2010 at 9:02 am | Comments (6)

Doherty says he’s raised $1.1M, about two-thirds of it from mayoral race

Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty’s campaign said Friday that it had raised $1.1 million in 2009, a sum including money brought in for his reelection race that can now be used for his gubernatorial bid.

The campaign said it had raised almost $675,000 for his mayoral race, and another $441,000 for his gubernatorial race. The latter total was a bit more than Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel raised at the end of the year, but since…

January 22, 2010 at 5:23 pm | Comments (7)

Doherty camp: ‘One less person to compete’

Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty’s campaign argued Friday that

January 22, 2010 at 1:39 pm | Comments (3)