Warren County Dems endorse Wagner

Auditor General Jack Wagner continued to shore up local party support ahead of the May gubernatorial primary Thursday when he was endorsed by the Warren County Democratic Committee.

Wagner, who was the top vote-getter at the Democratic State Committee meeting earlier this month but failed to win an endorsement, has now been backed by almost a quarter of either county party chairs or their full committees.

“We recognize Jack’s contributions as Auditor General and previously…

February 25, 2010 at 2:39 pm | Comments (1)

Poll: Guv race mostly unchanged

Less than three months before the primary, the political landscape in the race for governor remains mostly the same as voters wait to learn more about the candidate, according to a new poll.

The Franklin & Marshall College survey released Wednesday showed Attorney General Tom Corbett with a comfortable lead over state Representative Sam Rohrer (R-Berks) in the GOP primary, while the Democratic contest is still wide open. Corbett leads Rohrer 26 percent to four…

February 24, 2010 at 10:27 am | Comments (6)

ChesCo Dems don’t endorse for guv, senate (Updated)

WEST CHESTER—Democratic candidate for governor and senate came here Saturday to court local Democrats, but no one left with enough support to win a formal endorsement from the Chester County party.

Stumping to an audience that included some of his own constituents, Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) delivered an impassioned speech in which he walked up and down the aisles—but failed to win an endorsement on what was partly his home turf.

“This is gut-check time for Democrats,” Sestak said to applause. “If there was ever a time not to back down it’s now. It’s not the united states of America that needs reform, it’s the united states Congress, and particularly the Senate. We should have a principled compromise, not a compromise of principle.”

February 20, 2010 at 7:29 pm | Comments (47)

Guv candidates debate urban issues

PHILADELPHIA— Four candidates for governor came together just one block north of city hall here Thursday night to field questions about issues confronting Pennsylvania’s cities in what was one of the first gubernatorial debates to feature candidates from both parties.

The event, featuring Democrats Joe Hoeffel, Dan Onorato and Jack Wagner, as well as Republican Sam Rohrer, was sponsored by he Coalition for Essential Services and Philly Neighborhood Networks and held at Arch Street Methodist…

February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am | Comments (5)

LEFTOVERS: Sestak in Pittsburgh, Specter in San Fran, Doherty’s decision, guv endorsements

Democrat Joe Sestak’s Senate campaign officially opened its new Pittsburgh office Tuesday—and it yielded the kind of back-and-forth you don’t normally get from some mundane office opening.

First, let’s not forget to note that having more boots on the ground in western Pennsylvania is an important step for the campaign.

“With this new office, we can work to ensure that the needs and desires of Western Pennsylvania will not fall on the deaf ears of…

February 16, 2010 at 11:19 pm | Comments (36)

Corbett up big over Dem rivals

Attorney General Tom Corbett holds wide leads over his potential Democratic rivals for governor, according to a new poll.

The

February 12, 2010 at 2:05 pm | Comments (14)

Who won, who lost and who broke even at DemFest

With Democratic State Committee votes counted and endorsements given—or not given—it’s time to score where the candidates are with just 14 weeks until primary day.

WINNERS

Arlen Specter: full story

February 7, 2010 at 4:56 pm | Comments (12)

Wagner wins majority of party votes, but no endorsement

LANCASTER—Auditor General Jack Wagner demonstrated the depth of his party support here Saturday, winning a majority of Democratic State Committee votes and more than twice the number of his chief gubernatorial rival, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. But Wagner failed to reach the two-thirds threshold needed for an endorsement, yielding an open primary in which the state party as a whole will not back a candidate in the five-way race.

Still, it was a striking…

February 6, 2010 at 3:56 pm | Comments (13)

A snowy Lancaster rumor mill

LANCASTER—The Senate candidates tussled. The gubernatorial candidates laid down familiar talking points. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to party with her fellow Democrats. All of it happened as mounds of snow were piling up outside, leaving Democratic insiders who hadn’t booked a room at the Lancaster Host Resort here wondering if they could safely leave for the night and still make it back for Saturday’s important business.

Yes, it was a hectic evening at the…

February 6, 2010 at 3:00 am | Comments (3)

Another Dem chair backs Wagner

One quarter of the state’s 67 county Democratic leaders have now endorsed Auditor General Jack Wagner for governor.

The latest was Sullivan County party chair Germaine Donahue, whose support the campaign announced Tuesday. Seventeen county party leaders have backed Wagner, setting him up for a strong showing when Democratic State Committee members meet this weekend in Lancaster. While getting the two-thirds vote needed for a formal endorsement is difficult, Wagner could very well emerge as…

February 2, 2010 at 12:43 pm | Comments (13)