One-time candidates back Fitzpatrick

Former Republican candidates in the 8th Congressional District came out to support Mike Fitzpatrick as their nominee this week, as the former one-term congressman tried to unite the GOP after what was at times a contentious—if less than fiercely competitive—primary battle.

Fitzpatrick, who is seeking to win back the seat that Democrat Patrick Murphy captured from him in 2006, joined a handful of former candidates at a news conference Wednesday in Doylestown. The former candidates…

May 27, 2010 at 2:28 pm | Comments (2)

Fitzpatrick cruises in the 8th; sets eyes on Murphy

DOYLESTOWN—Mike Fitzpatrick is ready to face the man who took his job four years ago.

The former congressman easily won the Republican nomination in the 8th District Tuesday, capturing more than three-quarters of the vote in the four-way field. Local committeewoman Gloria Carlineo was a distant second with about 15 percent of the vote, after running a campaign fiercely critical of Fitzpatrick and his shifts on a plethora of issues. In the end, Fitzpatrick’s superior…

May 19, 2010 at 4:51 am | Comments (1)

Despite voting for neutrality, Bucks GOPers backing Fitzpatrick at the polls

RICHBORO—Earlier this year, the Bucks County Republican Party voted not to endorse a candidate in the 8th Congressional District primary. But despite that, Republicans working the polls today were highlighting Mike Fitzpatrick’s name on sample ballots, seemingly supporting him over Gloria Carlineo and two other candidates in what could be a violation of party rules.

The local party infrastructure overwhelmingly supports Fitzpatrick, a former one-term congressman. But it opted against a formal endorsement, partly at…

May 18, 2010 at 3:47 pm | Comments (0)

Fitzpatrick retains big cash advantage over Carlineo

A couple weeks before their 8th District primary showdown, Republican Mike Fitzpatrick is still holding a wide lead over Gloria Carlineo in the money race.

Fitzpatrick, a former congressman who lost the seat in 2006, raised almost $64,000 from April 1-28, according to pFitzpatrick burst out of the gate after getting into the race…

May 6, 2010 at 9:30 am | Comments (10)

LEFTOVERS: A Buchanan aide resigns, Joe the Plumber’s fee, prosecutors for Wagner, Jones stays on the ballot

Republican Mary Beth Buchanan has gotten more bad headlines than good during her short campaign for Congress in the 4th District. Her biggest PR splash was when she now-indicted state Senator Jane…

April 9, 2010 at 7:00 pm | Comments (3)

Where do we go from here?

The date of March 21, 2010 will probably go down in history as the Sunday when Democratic lawmakers were able to successfully claw and deal their way into fundamentally changing our country against the will of the majority of Americans.

There is little doubt that the overwhelming majority of Americans were and are opposed to the health care takeover that Democrats and President Obama were hell-bent in imposing. It was just another example of Democrats…

March 25, 2010 at 2:30 pm | Comments (51)

Jones blasts Carlineo for ballot challenge

Republican James Jones is lashing out at 8th District primary opponent Gloria Carlineo for her campaign’s challenge of his nominating petitions, calling it a “waste of time and resources.”

Carlineo’s campaign coordinator Kelly Unger filed the challenge to keep Jones off the ballot earlier this week. Jones is one of several Republicans seeking the party’s nod to take on Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8).

Jones also called hypocrisy on Carlineo, a local party committeewoman who has…

March 19, 2010 at 10:36 am | Comments (33)

BALLOT CHALLENGE ROUNDUP: Dahlkemper, Paige, Jones in the spotlight (Updated)

We’re still getting a handle on all the ballot challenges out there, and we’ll have expanded coverage of some of the bigger ones.

But in the meantime, here are a few that jumped out at us.

Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3) appears to be the only incumbent whose spot on the ballot for reelection is being challenged. Mel Marin, a Democrat opposing Dahlkemper in the May primary, filed a petition to keep her off the ballot…

March 17, 2010 at 1:23 pm | Comments (8)

LEFTOVERS: A clean campaign call from Pike, Specter’s new book, petition updates

Doug Pike tried for something of ceasefire Monday—and his primary opponent’s response basically amounted to, “we’ll get back to ya, but probably not.”

Pike, one of two Democrats seeking the party’s nod in the 6th Congressional District, cited a report from our buddies at PoliticsPA that noted the contest between him and Manan Trivedi could become one of the “nastiest” primaries of the year (we agree, by the way).

“That would be a real disservice…

March 8, 2010 at 11:30 pm | Comments (6)

LEFTOVERS: An open GOP primary in the 8th, Sestak on DADT

The Bucks County GOP is not endorsing a candidate for the 8th Congressional District.

That’s the word out of their meeting Thursday night. The endorsement was effectively former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick’s for the taking. But with some grassroots conservatives wary of his changed positions on the Employee Free Choice Act and other issues, not to mention the harsh political climate for “establishment” candidates, Fitzpatrick called for the party to forgo an endorsement. Despite some early…

March 5, 2010 at 1:52 am | Comments (4)