Hoeffel to supporters: ‘What do you think?’

Continuing what increasingly looks like a cautious march toward the governor’s race, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel on Monday directly appealed to supporters for their input about whether or not he should run.

In an e-mail message, Hoeffel, a Democrat, told supporters he is “thinking seriously” about a run “because I fear our party is poised to embrace conservative views that will doom us to defeat.”

“While I have not decided whether to run,” Hoeffel…

August 24, 2009 at 4:28 pm | Comments (6)

EXCLUSIVE: Hoeffel will poll the gubernatorial race

In the strongest indication yet that he is

August 20, 2009 at 1:27 pm | Comments (13)

Castor drops bid for state Senate

Bruce Castor’s decision not to run for Senator Rob Wonderling’s seat came in an emailed statement early this week, leaving Bob Mensch as the only Republican now running for the seat. No Democrats have announced that they will run for the seat.

Wonderling is leaving the Senate to head the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and a special election will be held to replace him.

Castor’s dropout is part of a long story of tension between…

July 29, 2009 at 1:54 pm | Comments (1)

EXCLUSIVE: Hoeffel considering gubernatorial bid

Five years after he gave up his Congressional seat in an unsuccessful run for Senate, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel is mulling a run for Governor, two Democrats who have spoken with him told pa2010.com.

Hoeffel would be the only elected official from the Philadelphia region in the Democratic primary—Tom Knox is from Philadelphia but doesn’t hold office—and his supporters say he would be a genuine progressive in a race that seems to be lacking…

July 9, 2009 at 11:00 pm | Comments (11)

Hoeffel says he’d back Sestak (Updated)

The last Democrat to challenge Senator Arlen Specter in a general election says he’d be willing to support Specter’s likely opponent in the Democratic primary, Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7).

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, who ran an unsuccessful race against Specter in 2004, told pa2010.com that Specter’s support for former President George W. Bush’s agenda made it impossible for him to back the longtime incumbent, who recently switched to the Democratic Party.

“The fundamental problem…

May 29, 2009 at 12:01 pm | Comments (4)

How we Democrats can keep on winning

By JOE HOEFFEL

The 2010 elections will be a major challenge for the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania—to see whether we can build on the progressive and successful legacy of Gov. Ed Rendell by keeping the Governor’s office and whether we can send another Democrat to the U.S. Senate to support the Obama administration’s agenda of economic recovery and support for hardworking Pennsylvanians.

Pennsylvania Democrats need to step up and support the principles of our party…

April 22, 2009 at 12:15 pm | Comments (2)

Initial projections, left meaningless by the passage of time

Almost six months ago, I decided to go through the 2010 elections and make my first predictions. Although many candidates weren’t included that are now being mentioned or are officially in, here they are…

Tom Knox beats Tom Corbett for Governor

Joe Hoeffel over Bruce Castor for Lt. Governor

Arlen Specter over Chris Matthews for Senate

Now, obviously some of these things won’t happen since a majority of these candidates aren’t even in the races,…

April 22, 2009 at 11:54 am | Comments (1)

MontCo GOP feud could spill into Lt. Gov. race

BLUE BELL—For more than a year, Montgomery County’s Republican Commissioners have been at each other’s throats politically. Commissioners Jim Matthews and Bruce Castor were elected by county voters in late 2007, promising the GOP control over county policy even as is struggled to hold onto voters. But Matthews infuriated Republicans by shunning Castor, instead forming a power-sharing agreement with Democratic Commissioner Joe Hoeffel. This has effectively locked Castor out of power, and embroiled the county GOP in bitter dispute.

Soon, that toxic climate—and the vitriol Matthews and Castor regularly hurl at each other—could move to a statewide stage, with both Commissioners interested in the party’s nomination for Lieutenant Governor.

April 21, 2009 at 2:36 pm | Comments (13)