Meanwhile, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele says Critz shouldn’t get too comfortable. Despite the fact that his party took a beating in the special election, Steele says wealthy businessman Tim Burns will prevail in his November rematch against Critz. Steele blamed the fact that Democrats had higher turnout because of their competitive statewide primaries. “In November, we’ll get that seat back because, guess what, independent conservatives get to play then and that will be a very different race,” Steele Sunday during “This Week” on ABC (see video below).

And lastly, there’s one thing that sat in the pa2010.com Central inbox for far too long: the mysterious robo-call that targeted Jonathan Saidel in the hours before he suffered what looks like a devastating loss in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor. Saidel may still get a recount against state Representative Scott Conklin (D-Centre), and most of the blame for how things turned out has to fall on his campaign. But one factor, however small, may have been the robo-call. Phones in Philadelphia received the robo-call, in which a woman who says she’s backing Doris Smith-Ribner in the race asks if “Saidel is running for controller or for grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.”

That’s a reference to a brief controversy from the early 1990s, when Saidel said he opposed school busing plans to send children to “parts of the city that look like East Beirut.” Shortly after, then-City Councilman Michael Nutter said he thought Saidel was “running for city controller, not grand wizard.” It remains unclear who put out the robo-call, and Smith-Ribner has said she had nothing to do with it. But the Saidel campaign wasn’t happy.

“To suggest that Jonathan Saidel, of Jewish heritage and a champion of civil rights for his whole career, has anything to do with the KKK is disgusting,” campaign spokesman Marty Marks told The Daily News. “It’s politics at its worst.”

Listen to partial audio of the call here.

Conklin, a state Representative from Centre County, was widely seen as the underdog against former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel, who had exponentially more campaign cash, as well as overwhelming support from party and labor leaders. But as Tuesday night turned to Wednesday morning, it seemed increasingly likely that Conklin had pulled out a win. He led by fewer than 4,400 votes, and while Saidel’s campaign was hoping that votes from still-to-be-counted precincts in Philadelphia would narrow the margin enough for a recount, Conklin told pa2010.com that those precincts mostly represented voting machines that went unused because of the light turnout.

“It’s a very good day,” Conklin said in a phone interview Wednesday evening. “We’re expecting those numbers to stay intact, the question is just whether we’re over or under” the half-percent margin that triggers a recount.

Saidel had not conceded, issuing a subdued statement Wednesday afternoon in which he expressed hope for a recount. And Conklin, who had yet to speak with Saidel, said he would wait to formally declare victory until the votes were certified next week. But he was both optimistic and jubilant. Conklin said he would form a potent ticket with gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato.

“My victory goes to the folks who helped me,” he said, “because we didn’t have the money and we were working against the entire party structure.”

Saidel was the party’s endorsed candidate, and a full picture of what went wrong was still emerging late Wednesday. Low turnout in Philadelphia hurt him from the start, a dynamic exacerbated by the fact that retired Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner had a strong showing in the city, cutting into Saidel’s margins. Endorsements from The Inquirer and The Post-Gazette could have played a significant role in a race that voters rarely consider with much scrutiny. The Saidel campaign never took Conklin seriously, openly mocking his viability in e-mail exchanges. And Capitolwire (subscription only) reported that Saidel allies were faulting him for not spending $450,000 than was left in his war chest.

“We did what we could the way we knew how to do it best, and we were able to get the numbers we needed in central Pennsylvania and out in the west, while getting enough from our friends in Philadelphia to pull off the victory,” Conklin said.

“This just proves that your vote really does matter,” Conklin. “It proves it’s not about money, it’s about people, and that’s why we do what we do.”

With Onorato hailing from the western part of the state, Senate nominee Joe Sestak from the southeast and Conklin from mid-sate, Conklin said that would form the basis for a solid ticket.

“I believe we have a great balanced ticket … and I believe it’s going to bring a good dynamic to Pennsylvania this fall,” he said.

Conklin also clarified a recent news report that quoted him saying he would keep his state House job if he’s elected as Lt. Gov. in the fall, saying he would only hold the seat for as long as it took to schedule a special election that coincides with another election cycle.

“I have no intention of being both Lt. Gov. and state Representative for four years,” he said.

Supporters of former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel came to the Warwick Hotel here Tuesday thinking a victory party was a sure thing. Saidel was the endorsed party candidate, enjoyed a huge financial advantage and the support of labor organizations far and wide.

But things weren’t that simple.

By the end of the night, Saidel and state Representative Scott Conklin (D-Centre) were locked in a surprisingly close contest in the Democratic race for Lieutenant Governor. Conklin was holding a lead of one-half a percentage point—4,654 votes—and after his supporters waited hours for Saidel to show, he ended up sending them home without a celebration. Conklin could not immediately be reached for comment late Tuesday night. Saidel’s campaign was hoping votes that had yet to be tallied in Philadelphia would put him over the edge (68 of 1,684 precincts had yet to be included in the final tally).

It was a shocking turn of events for a campaign that political watchers had overwhelmingly assumed would cruise across the finish line.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Saidel told supporters. “It’s a democracy, people have the right to cast their ballots for anyone they choose. It’s the greatest process in the world, I’m honored to be part of it and I will continue to be part of it either as a candidate in the fall or certainly as a citizen who is involved in our great Democratic Party.”

The third candidate in the race, retired Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner, was listed first on the ballot, and Saidel campaign insiders were pegging the surprising circumstances on the possibility that many straight-ticket Democratic voters may have backed her without much thought—a contention with which her campaign would surely quibble. Early Wednesday morning, it remained unclear exactly what had gone wrong for the campaign. Conklin had raised little money for the race and had campaigned only recently, while also seeking reelection to his state House seat.

The supporters and staffers at the Warwick here began the night in expectation of a celebration. Early returns showed Saidel ahead by a comfortable margin, and with his campaign already pivoting to prepare for its role in the general election, there didn’t seem to be much reason to doubt the outcome of the primary. A stage and podium were set for Saidel’s victory speech, and the atmosphere was relaxed and satisfied, a group of friends and supporters happy with the work of the primary campaign behind them.

As the returns continued to come in statewide, the tone of the room changed. With 35 percent of districts reporting, Conklin overtook Saidel in the polls by a margin of less than 1 percent.  As counties around the state continued to send in their returns, the candidates traded the lead several times, neither ever holding an advantage beyond a few percentage points.  With a suddenly tight race on their hands, Saidel’s supporters hunkered down for a long evening.

As tired supporters filed out, Saidel campaign aide Marty Marks summed up the night: “It’s not done yet.”

See a video clip of Saidel’s speech to supporters below.

The 30-second spot is airing in every media market except Philadelphia, the campaign said, where Saidel’s name recognition is high from years as the city controller. Saidel, the party’s endorsed candidate and the overwhelming favorite in the May 18 primary, appears to be the only candidate with the campaign cash needed for any kind of a significant advertising blitz. He has raised more money than some top-ticket gubernatorial candidates, and had about $621,000 in the bank at the end of March, according to state campaign finance data. By contrast, retired Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner had about $72,000 in cash on hand (she loaned her campaign almost $78,000), and state Representative Scott Conklin (D-Centre) had less than $2,000 (at the time, all of Conklin’s campaign cash had come from his other political action committee).

“In the 1990s, Jonathan Saidel brought fiscal discipline to a city on the brink,” a narrator says in the ad.

See the ad below.

State Representative Scott Conklin (D-Centre) is gathering signatures to get on the ballot, The Centre Daily Times reports. He is circulating nominating petitions both for Lt. Gov. and for reelection.

If he decides to get into the race full-throttle, he would face a steep uphill battle against Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel, who has been campaigning and raising money for over a year. Saidel easily won the state party’s endorsement earlier this month. Former Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner is also running.

Bucks County Democrats on Wednesday criticized former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick for claiming he has “no interest in becoming a professional politician,” unveiling a Web video that juxtaposes the comment with 20 years worth of electoral campaigning as both a candidate and a political operative.

“It’s hard to believe, but Congressman Fitzpatrick, a guy who has been running for political office for 20 years, claimed that he has ‘no interest in becoming a professional politician,’” Neil Samuels, deputy chair of the Bucks County Democratic Committee, wrote in an e-mail sharing the video (embedded above) with supporters. “Problem is, Fitzpatrick already is one. In fact, that’s all he’s ever been.”

Fitzpatrick’s original comment was made in pledging to serve only four terms if elected, including the one he served before being unseated by Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8) in 2006. He told the The Morning Call that it’s “ironic” being called a career politician when Murphy hasn’t made the same term-limit pledge.

As an insider political news Web site, we have absolutely no problem with career politicians here at pa2010.com Central—heck, they make up a big chunk of our readers. But we’ll give the BucksCo Dems this one: It’s tough to think of a guy in his 40′s who’s spent two decades in politics as anything but a professional politician. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Meanwhile, we got word that Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Joe Hoeffel—along with Lieutenant Governor candidate Jonathan Saidel—won the endorsement of Philadelphia’s 9th Ward. It’s an area including the Chestnut Hill neighborhood and part of Mt. Airy, one that strays a bit more often from party boss Bob Brady. It’s also one where the turnout is usually high. Our source there told us that Hoeffel’s endorsement was unanimous. And though we’re not positive, we’re pretty sure Saidel’s victory came on the home turf of his only Democratic rival, Mt. Airy’s own Doris Smith-Ribner.

LANCASTER—It didn’t even need to go to a roll-call vote.

After campaigning for Lieutenant Governor for more than a year, former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel easily won the state Democratic Party’s endorsement here Saturday, needing only a simple voice-vote to do so. Former Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner is also running, but a candidacy that has struggled to get off the ground now seems even more unlikely to have a strong showing in the May primary.

It was the easy victory that Saidel and his supporters had forecast. Only speculation that Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty might drop from the governor’s race to run for Lt. Gov. instead had briefly put it in doubt. But Doherty was nowhere to be seen when Democratic State Committee members met to vote, and Saidel cruised.

“It’s always a humbling experience when people vest their trust in you,” Saidel said after the vote. “I won’t betray that trust.”

He now faces the unusual position of being an endorsed Lt. Gov. candidate with no clear running mate to top the ticket. He signaled that he’ll stay above the fray of an open primary.

“I won’t endorse,” Saidel said, “and I’ll allow the voters in the primary to decide who should be my running mate.”

“I’m running because I miss helping people,” Saidel said before a cadre of elected officials and party leaders at City Hall here. “I really miss helping people. There is nothing like it. You can make all the money in the world but there is nothing like it.”

Saidel, who had been practicing law since serving as controller in the 1990s, was joined by members of City Council, union leaders, local ward leaders and other elected officials from throughout the region. In a significant show of support that came with chatter of other possible candidates on the rise, the city’s Democratic Party, led by longtime Saidel friend and party chairman Bob Brady, met earlier in the day to endorse Saidel.

“When Jonathan Saidel crosses this city from one and to the other,” local AFL-CIO leader Pat Eiding said, “I don’t care if you’re black, white, male, female, Jonathan Saidel has touched your hand or touched your life in some way.”

Said Anna Verna, president of City Council: “When he was the watchdog for the city, the city taxpayers literally saved hundreds of millions of dollars. … He’s a workaholic and I stand here to tell you that I am deeply proud to say that I support you, not 100 percent but 1,000 percent.”

Other officials on hand included City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell; City Councilman Frank DiCicco; newly-inaugurated District Attorney Seth Williams and Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, who is running for governor. Next to Hoeffel stood Tom Knox, the wealthy Philadelphia businessman who withdrew from the governor’s race last week. The massive show of support seemed design to scare off any other heavy-hitters considering entering the race. Each official who took to the podium spoke up his value to a Democratic ticket.

Doris Smith-Ribner, a former Commonwealth Court judge who is the only other Democrat in the race and only began to campaign recently, said she welcomes Saidel to the contest.

“I’m the only candidate running in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor that has ever won a statewide election,” Smith-Ribner said in a statement. “I’ve decided countless cases that have impacted the daily lives of Pennsylvania’s families. This knowledge of the Commonwealth makes me uniquely qualified to be the next lieutenant governor during this important time in Pennsylvania’s history.”

During his 20-minute speech, Saidel said he wouldn’t settle for the traditional role lieutenant governors have assumed. Joking about the morbid nature of a job that calls for replacing the governor in the event of an untimely death, or at least just waiting for orders from the governor, Saidel said he’d be different.

“If anybody thinks that’s the kind of Lt. Gov. I’m going be, then you’re in big trouble,” he said. “Because we have problems … that are not going to be solved by waiting for someone to tell you what to do. I’m not going sit back and watch as people wring their hands in Harrisburg for 122 days wondering what kind of budget they’re gonna have. i am going to be involved.”

Log-on later for video and audio from Saidel’s announcement.

Don’t even try it.

Saidel has been laying the groundwork for over a year and will formally announce his candidacy for Lt. Gov. Monday afternoon. But responding to increased speculation that a candidate for governor could join Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato on a Democratic ticket, Saidel campaign spokesman Marty Marks said Thursday that there was no room for such maneuvering.

“It would be a fool’s errand,” Marks said in an interview. “It would be a significant political mistake. It would alienate Philadelphia political leaders and rank-and-file voters, and it would seriously jeopardize the ticket’s chance of winning. … We know how important it is to drive a big turnout in Philadelphia, and there is no one who can make that happen like Jonathan Saidel.

“There’s really no room at the inn,” he added.

While numerous Republicans have battled for a spot on their party’s gubernatorial ticket, Saidel has effectively been running unopposed. While several Democrats have considered the race, Saidel got his first primary opponent only recently, when former Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner ditched her Senate run in favor of a campaign for Lt. Gov. But Saidel, widely considered an energetic campaigner with established political relationships across the state, has been collecting labor endorsements and raising money for more than a year, making for a formidable head start against any candidate who would challenge him. Marks said the campaign had about $750,000 in cash on hand at the end of last year, more than at least one candidate for governor.

In his warning message, delivered to pa2010.com unprompted to “address some of the speculation I’ve seen from various reporters and columnists,” Marks was not explicit about who it was meant to reach. But it could really only be intended for Chris Doherty. The Scranton mayor is running for governor, and while his campaign has consistently waved off any speculation that he would settle for a second-tier spot on the ticket, speculation has only built that party leaders who favor Onorato will eventually pressure him to do just that. A similar scenario has occasionally been floated about Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, though nowhere near as frequently.

“Jonathan Saidel has been running for Lt. Gov., working all across the state,” Marks said. “We believe we’ve tied up most of the key constituencies of the Democratic Party, the key political leaders, raised a good deal of money—and not that we have the race sowed up because the voters have the ultimate say down the road, but we believe we’re in a good spot.

“To speculate that somehow he would get out of the race or eased out or even be defeated is just nonsense,” Marks added. “The only way Jonathan Saidel gets out of the race is if he decides he’s gonna run for governor, and that’s not on the table right now.”

Smith-Ribner, a Democrat, made the announcement recently on her campaign Web site. She had faced the nearly impossible political task of garnering money and attention in the high-profile primary between Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7). She said her decision was made “out of deference to many, many respected friends, [advisers] and supporters.”

In running for Lieutenant Governor, she becomes only the second Democrat to formally declare her candidacy for the office. But she still faces a steep uphill battle against former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel, who has built a formidable head start in fundraising and endorsements.

“As a Commonwealth Court Judge,” Smith-Ribner said, “I have had substantial involvement in major issues that will be impacted by the next Lieutenant Governor including education, job creation, a healthy business climate, community and economic development and emergency management services.”