WEEKEND LEFTOVERS: Specter on flip-flops, Buchanan makes a move and another Joe Watkins sighting

It’s time to vote again this week. But first, a few items slipped by us last week at pa2010.com Central.

Senator Arlen Specter, who has slowly but surely shifted positions on card-check, the public option, DOMA and more, pMeanwhile, U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, the would-be Republican candidate against Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4), said a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_650641.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pittsburghlive.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pittsburghlive.com%2Fx%2Fpittsburghtrib%2Fnews%2Fpittsburgh%2Fs_650641.html','she%22ll+resign+from+office+later+this+month')" target="_blank">she’ll resign from office later this month. She didn’t comment further on what comes next, but with the GOP determined to challenge Altmire and state Representative Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) seemingly uninterested, here’s betting she gets …

November 1, 2009 at 10:44 pm | Comments (1)

Altmire has more than $700K on hand

Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4) brought in more than $220,000 during the third quarter, building up a campaign war chest of about $709,000 ahead of his fight for a third term next year, according to …

October 15, 2009 at 4:02 pm | Comments (0)

Two more GOPers eyeing Dem House seats

In yet another sign that pChris Paige, an attorney and hedge fund manager in Skytop, has decided to run in the 11th Congressional District, where incumbent Paul Kanjorski faces a primary challenge from Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien. And U.S. Attorney Mary Buchanan is said to be seriously considering a challenge to incumbent sophomore Jason Altmire in the 4th District./p
pThis comes after Altmire and fellow Democratic incumbent Patrick Murphy a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2009/09/altmire-murphy-get-republican-opponents/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2009%2F09%2Faltmire-murphy-get-republican-opponents%2F','recently+got+their+first+Republican+opponents')" target="_blank"recently got their first Republican opponents/a for next year./p
pPaige, the first Republican to formally challenge Kanjorski, said the financial bailouts had spurred his candidacy./p
p“The bailouts are outrageous,” he said in an interview. “I think they’re unconstitutional and they’re bad policy.”/p
pHazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, who has lost to Kanjorski twice, including last year, is still considering a run, according to Republican insiders. But Paige said he would be a better candidate./p
p“I think the public has decided to get rid of Kanjorski, they just saw Barletta as an unacceptable alternative,” Paige said. “Had it been someone else, we would have won last year.”/p
pBuchanan, who emThe Post-Gazette/em a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09282/1004170-454.stm" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.post-gazette.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.post-gazette.com%2Fpg%2F09282%2F1004170-454.stm','reported')" target="_blank">reported was mulling a run against Altmire last week, would seem to be the first politically potent challenger to Altmire this cycle if she ultimately decides to run.

October 11, 2009 at 9:25 pm | Comments (6)

Not so suddenly, Pa. becomes ground zero for competitive House races

First, Joe Sestak left his seat open to take on Arlen Specter. Then, Jim Gerlach said goodbye to his hard-to-defend seat to pOh, and there’s still those a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2009/08/for-dems-in-conservative-districts-2010-could-be-a-rough-ride/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2009%2F08%2Ffor-dems-in-conservative-districts-2010-could-be-a-rough-ride%2F','freshman+and+sophomore+Democrats+who+have+to+defend+conservative+districts')" target="_blank">freshman and sophomore Democrats who have to defend conservative districts.

Day after day, the Keystone State has become the to place watch for fiercely competitive House races, a microcosm of national political trends that could very well serve as the loudest amplification of whatever does—or does not—happen on Election Day 2010.

“You …

October 6, 2009 at 9:33 am | Comments (1)

Altmire, Murphy get Republican opponents

Two sophomore House Democrats have now seen their first 2010 Republican challengers formally come forward.

Pittsburgh lawyer Keith Rothfus, a former official at the Department of Homeland Security, announced Tuesday that he had filed paperwork to run against Congressman Jason Altmire in the 4th District. And Warrington computer consultant Jeffrey Schott told pa2010.com that he is running against Congressman Patrick Murphy in the 8th District.

Altmire is in a district that the GOP has badly …

September 29, 2009 at 5:40 pm | Comments (4)

For Dems in conservative districts, 2010 could be a rough ride

CORRECTION APPENDED (see bottom)

If you’re a member of Congress, the first couple reelection fights are always the toughest. You have only the most minute record on which to run, and your fortunes often twist in the wind with the fate of your party on the national level.

But for freshmen and sophomore Democrats who represent some of the state’s historically conservative districts, the 2010 elections could shake up as some of the most politically …

August 10, 2009 at 2:33 pm | Comments (6)

Republicans targeting 6 Pa. House members

A list of 70 Congressional incumbents being targeted next year by the National Republican Congressional Committee includes six from the Keystone State.

The list, first reported by …

August 3, 2009 at 12:41 pm | Comments (4)

Altmire has more than half-a-million on hand

As a sophomore Democrat representing the historically conservative 4th District, Congressman Jason Altmire continues to raise money at an impressive clip in his efforts to hold the seat he captured in 2006.

Altmire raised more than $430,000 over the last three months, finishing the second quarter with more than $535,000 in cash on hand, according to campaign finance data. He has raised almost $675,000 since winning reelection last year. After Altmire beat Melissa Hart twice, …

July 15, 2009 at 10:10 am | Comments (0)