From leaders to rank-and-file, Dems pitch in for Lentz

Whether it’s House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, freshman state Representative Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) or recently-defeated judicial candidate Nancy Rhoads Koons, Democrats from the top of the party hierarchy to the bottom are giving money to Bryan Lentz.

Lentz, the second-term state Representative from Delaware County, is running to replace Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7), in a conservative-leaning district that will be tough for the party to hold. But even with Lentz likely to be outspent by presumptive…

February 1, 2010 at 8:30 am | Comments (2)

DelCo leader endorses Lentz

A top official in the Delaware County Democratic Party endorsed state Representative Bryan Lentz for Congress Wednesday, effectively giving Lentz the vast majority of the local party organization’s support.

The backing of the party’s first vice-chair, Tony Campisi, was also the surest indication yet that state Representative Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) is not going to run in the 7th District primary. Vitali has yet to publicly make a decision, but Campisi, who is gunning for the…

January 27, 2010 at 5:44 pm | Comments (4)

The not-so-secret is out: Dems don’t see a primary in PA-7

There are three Democrats running for the party’s nomination in the 7th Congressional District, and one who’s still considering a run, but Thursday quietly brought confirmation of what we had long assumed: Democrats already see state Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) as their candidate.

A Politico full story

January 14, 2010 at 11:30 pm | Comments (5)

Courting supporters, Lentz says ‘you won’t regret it’ (Video)

WAYNE—State Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) said Tuesday that his time in Harrisburg had taught him that individual lawmakers can have an impact, and he promised to “do what I believe is right” if elected to Congress next year.

Speaking to supporters during an evening fundraiser at the home of state Senator Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) here, Lentz reflected upon the one-vote margin Democrats had in the state House when he first came to Harrisburg in 2006.…

December 29, 2009 at 9:45 pm | Comments (4)

Day 1 rumor mill and wrap up

NEW YORK—It was a day of non-stop politicking here Friday in midtown Manhattan. Here are a few things we’re hearing.

-—Lonely in D.C: Looks like the health care debate in Washington held up Senators Bob Casey and Arlen Specter. It may even make them miss whole weekend, but we hear they might show up later on Saturday. Specter certainly can’t afford to miss important moments for all the guff he’s given Joe Sestak about his…

December 12, 2009 at 6:54 am | Comments (0)

POLICY ROUNDUP: Hoeffel and Knox on energy, Specter on abortion & jobs galore

While we at pa2010.com Central were distracted with raw politics as usual, Tuesday ended up being a day chock full of policy pronouncements.

It started with Democrat Joe Hoeffel’s gubernatorial campaign putting out his plan for tapping the state’s energy-rich Marcellus Shale, which he said needed to be done with a careful eye on environmental implications. He proposed, among other initiatives, improving the “right to know” rules, giving the state’s Department of Environmental Protection greater…

December 8, 2009 at 6:07 pm | Comments (1)

LEFTOVERS: Hoeffel challenges Corbett on discrimination, Conner writes the chamber & a new consultant

Joe Hoeffel continued Monday to highlight his stances on social issues, this time directly challenging GOP gubernatorial front-runner Tom Corbett to support an anti-discrimination law before the legislature in Harrisburg.

The strategy reflects Hoeffel’s belief that his Democratic primary rivals are mostly the same on the paramount economic issues, and that his more liberal positioning on social issues will win the day in the Democrat-heavy southeast. In a campaign statement, Hoeffel, a Montgomery County commissioner,…

November 30, 2009 at 9:29 pm | Comments (0)

Conner: ‘I am not an insider’

Gail Conner is playing catch up. As she seeks the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District, she faces a front-runner opponent, state Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware), who has a three-month head start, significant party support and more than $250,000 in the bank.

But Conner, an environmental lawyer who unexpectedly

November 16, 2009 at 2:09 pm | Comments (3)

Lentz: ‘I will always put your interests ahead of the special interests’ (Video)

State Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) formally declared his candidacy for Congress in the 7th District Thursday, as the Democratic front-runner to succeed incumbent Joe Sestak said that people are “legitimately frustrated” by the federal government and promised to fight for job creation on Main Street.

At an American Legion post in Upper Darby, Lentz—who has been gearing up his campaign for a few months—reflected on his upbringing in southeastern Pennsylvania, his military service, his time…

November 12, 2009 at 1:30 pm | Comments (18)

Environmental lawyer dives into PA-7 Dem primary

An environmental lawyer who was a convention delegate for Barack Obama last year announced Tuesday morning that she would run for Congress in the 7th District, adding another name to the mix just days before the party’s front-runner formally declares his candidacy.

Gail Conner, the founder and president of an environmental consulting firm in Newtown Square, sought to to frame herself as something of a political outsider compared to her opponents.

“People here know that…

November 10, 2009 at 9:14 am | Comments (37)