BREAKING NEWS: Kortz to run for Senate

State Representative Bill Kortz (D-Allegheny) will soon file paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, The Daily News in McKeesport reports.

Kortz is only the second Democrat to declare his candidacy, following former National Constitution Center CEO Joe Torsella. He is almost certain to be the only candidate from western Pennsylvania, which could give him a large amount of the primary vote uncontested. State Representative Josh Shapiro is also considering the race.

“I understand this is a monumental task and that I will be the underdog,” Kortz told The Daily News in a statement . “However, I am entering this race for all the right reasons.”

Kortz’s announcement is almost sure to catch the Capitol by surprise. His name as hardly, if ever, been mentioned as a possible Senate candidate.

April 21, 2009 at 10:59 am | Comments (1)

1Q fundraising roundup

The Congressional fundraising numbers are in, and in the Senate race, Senator Arlen Specter is the winner. He raised $1.3 million on his way to a total of $6.7 million in his campaign coffers. However, he is not the biggest surprise of the quarter.

Although Allyson Schwartz (D-13) pulled in a strong as usual fundraising haul ($379k), bringing her total to $2.1 million and Patrick Murphy (D-8) has a low total of $252,000 in the bank, neither of them are the big surprise of the quarter.

The surprise of the 2009 year so far is Rep. Joe Sestak (D-7). He hauled in around $550,000, bringing his total to more than $3, 3 million. This is shocking, considering he is a second-term member of Congress who has already equaled Pennsylvania’s version of Terry McAuliffe, Democrat Joe Torsella, for a potential run at Arlen Specter. The other good news for Sestak is that the recent rise in piracy has gained him a lot of media attention, being a former Vice Admiral in the Navy.

April 21, 2009 at 10:13 am | Comments (0)

With less to lose and an open field, Shapiro inches toward Senate race

With his elder colleagues seemingly hesitant to jump into what is sure to be a grueling and expensive Senate contest, state Representative Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery) is slowly but surely inching toward the race.

Most attention is focused on the competitive Republican primary, and only one Democrat, former National Constitution Center CEO Joe Torsella, has declared his intention to run. But after Shapiro has spent weeks traveling the state to gauge support, party insiders are increasingly confident he will soon declare his candidacy.

“I think Shapiro is going to jump into the race,” Abe Amoros, the state Democratic Party’s spokesman and political director, told pa2010.com recently. “He’s exploring this very seriously. He’s been the most vocal.”

In an interview, Shapiro said his decision would come soon, though he wouldn’t specify when.

“We’ve been traveling around the state and picking up political support and financial support, and we’re honored to have the broad support that we have,” he said. “We’ll continue to go through that process.”

April 20, 2009 at 11:48 am | Comments (0)

Schwartz, other House Dems eye Senate race warily

Only a few months ago, they were considered the most likely candidates to carry the Democratic banner and capture a second Senate seat in 2010. Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13), Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8) and Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) were all seen bringing different political strengths—and lots of money—to the table, perhaps capable of beating even the invincible Arlen Specter.

Today, the three are mentioned far less often. They have largely avoided talking about the race, while aides have quietly dropped hints that their bosses aren’t rushing to get in line for the nomination. Their reasons run the gamut. All three are occupied, to varying degrees, with President Obama’s ambitious agenda in Congress. Sestak’s office said in December that he wouldn’t run, even though he’s flush in campaign cash and his recent fundraising numbers have only fueled speculation. Murphy spent much of his large war chest in the final weeks of his reelection bid last year, leaving him with less cash on hand than some had expected. And with politicians of every stripe still loathe to count out Specter, all three are sitting in relatively safe Congressional seats that might seem like too much to risk.

April 19, 2009 at 6:17 pm | Comments (0)