Cernic drops out of Dem primary in the 12th

Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr. has decided not to run in the Democratic primary to succeed John Murtha in the 12th Congressional District. His withdrawal from the race leaves Navy veteran Ryan Bucchianeri and attorney Ron Mackell Jr. as the only Democrats still running against former Murtha aide Mark Critz, the party’s nominee for a special election to finish out Murtha’s term and the overwhelming favorite to win the primary being held the same…

March 21, 2010 at 12:15 pm | Comments (2)

Could Cernic get the nod?

pCould Ed Cernic Jr. end up winning Monday?/p
pIt’s not as crazy it sounds. The Cambria County controller, who was seen by many as little more than a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/03/cernic-says-hes-no-spoiler/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fcernic-says-hes-no-spoiler%2F','a+spoiler+candidate')" target="_blank">a spoiler candidate, could emerge as a something of a compromise candidate for state Democratic Party leaders flummoxed by how best to hold the late John Murtha’s seat in the 12th Congressional District. One high-level party insider said Sunday that it was a distinct possibility Cernic might end up with the executive committee’s endorsement when it votes Monday.

“Barbara’s f—-d this up to the point that we’re looking hard at Cernic now,” he said. “He…

March 7, 2010 at 11:23 pm | Comments (8)

Local Dems back Critz for 12th District special

DELMONT—Longtime congressional staffer Mark Critz won the support of local Democratic Party insiders in the 12th Congressional District Saturday, officially becoming their preferred candidate for a special election before the state party’s executive committee makes a final nomination.

Critz, who was district director for the late Congressman John Murtha, won 55 percent of the votes cast by delegates at a morning meeting here—a significant show of support but not the overwhelming win that some had…

March 6, 2010 at 2:30 pm | Comments (12)

Cernic says he’s no spoiler

DELMONT—In the race for the 12th Congressional District, political analysts and watchers have already framed Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr. as the “spoiler” candidate in a high-powered contest between Mark Critz and Barbara Hafer.

Not so fast, Cernic says.

“I frame the rest of them as spoilers,” Cernic said with a smile after he finished third in

March 6, 2010 at 2:28 pm | Comments (1)

Allegheny controller endorses Hafer

With her main opponent rolling out endorsements from major political figures in the 12th Congressional District, former state treasurer and auditor general Barbara Hafer announced her first formal backer in the race Tuesday.

Hafer was endorsed by Allegheny County Controller Mark Flaherty.

“I know Barbara Hafer, and more importantly the voters of our district know her,” Flaherty said in a statement. “She has been through the process already and she has been vetted and approved…

March 2, 2010 at 10:18 am | Comments (6)

Singel drops out of 12th District race (Updated)

Less than a week after

February 25, 2010 at 6:08 pm | Comments (9)

12th District notes: Joyce Murtha out, Critz and Cernic in (Updated)

A few more 12th District pieces came into focus Monday.

The Fix pMeanwhile, emCQ Politics/em a href="http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/02/top-murtha-staffer-likely-to-r.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://blogs.cqpolitics.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.cqpolitics.com%2Feyeon2010%2F2010%2F02%2Ftop-murtha-staffer-likely-to-r.html','reports')" target="_blank"reports/a that Murtha’s district director Mark Critz will soon enter the race, adding a candidate intimately familiar with the district into the mix. Former Cambria County Controller Albert Penska also might run./p
pAnd emThe Tribune-Democrat/em a href="http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_053104525.html?keyword=topstory" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.tribune-democrat.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tribune-democrat.com%2Flocal%2Flocal_story_053104525.html%3Fkeyword%3Dtopstory','reports')" target="_blank">reports that Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr., who had been considering a run, is good to go, having announced his candidacy Monday morning.

With only a couple Republicans definitely running, the Democratic side of the ballot is shaping up to be to be a much more crowded affair—at least five Democrats have said they’re in the race.

UPDATE: In a statement Monday…

February 22, 2010 at 3:00 pm | Comments (9)

12th District notes: A Singel annoucement, Cernic interested, Bucchianeri still in

Two more Democrats appear to be leaning toward a run in the 12th Congressional District.

The Post-Gazette full story

February 18, 2010 at 2:12 pm | Comments (6)