Callahan, other Lehigh Valley Dems back Onorato

ALLENTOWN— Democrat Dan Onorato picked up a slew of Lehigh Valley endorsements Friday night, bringing three more mayors onto his team as continues to rack up support in the closing days before the gubernatorial primary.

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, the White House recruit running in the 15h Congressional District, joined Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski and Eason Mayor Salvatore Panto in endorsing Onorato, the Allegheny County Executive, during a campaign rally here.

“We need leaders in…

May 14, 2010 at 10:35 pm | Comments (1)

Dent wins the April money race, but Callahan keeps it close

After getting badly beat in the fundraising in two consecutive quarters last year, Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) has regained some of his footing, besting Bethelehm Mayor John Callahan’s fundraising haul during the last two filing periods. But Callahan continues to raise money at an impressive clip and spend his cash carefully, creating what continues to be a tight money race, according to campaign finance data.

Dent raised about $112,000 from April 1 to April 28,…

May 7, 2010 at 7:45 am | Comments (0)

LEFTOVERS: Toomey backs immigration law, Marino on the radio, Dent leads

With Democrats up in arms about Arizona’s new immigration law, Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey says he’s all for it. In an interview this week on Glenn Beck’s radio show, Toomey said states have the right to address immigration issues if the federal government won’t. “If you have a federal government that’s not enforcing the law, and does not preserve the integrity of its own borders then naturally states are going to take matters into…

April 29, 2010 at 10:00 pm | Comments (4)

Callahan and Specter lean on each other

BETHLEHEM—Call it a case of young Democrats helping new Democrats, and vice versa.

Mayor John Callahan, the White House-backed candidate in the 15th Congressional District, traded endorsements Monday with one of the newer members of his party, Senator Arlen Specter. The two professed their support for one another during a morning news conference that overlooked construction being done on Route 412 here—a project Callahan credited to Specter’s knack for bringing federal dollars home.

“I am…

April 19, 2010 at 11:54 am | Comments (13)

LEFTOVERS: Another guv poll, Murtha’s PAC, a Hoyer roundup

The attention Wednesday was on the Quinnipiac poll that showed—once again— pMeanwhile,…

April 7, 2010 at 10:35 pm | Comments (1)

Callahan says he raised $320K last quarter (Updated)

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan continued his frenetic fundraising pace in the first three months of this year, raising another $320,000 in his bid to unseat Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15), his campaign said Wednesday.

Callahan, a White House recruit, has now raised more than $1 million. Campaign finance reports will be filed later this month, but the campaign said it finished the quarter with more than $825,000 in cash on hand.

Dent had yet to release…

April 7, 2010 at 1:13 pm | Comments (7)

Hoyer pitching in for Callahan and Lentz on Tuesday

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will be in Pennsylvania Tuesday to lend a hand to two of the Democrats’ top congressional candidates.

Hoyer’s trip starts in Allentown, where he’ll join Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan for an education policy roundtable at Muhlenberg College at 1:15 p.m. Callahan is running against Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15).

He’ll then join state Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) at Delaware County Community College for a press conference about Lentz’s legislation to establish…

April 5, 2010 at 5:35 pm | Comments (3)

Robo-calls target Dent’s vote against health care

A day after Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) joined in unanimous GOP opposition to health care reform legislation, a liberal group launched robo-calls targeting him and the Lehigh Valley district Democrats are eager to capture.

The group, Americans United for Change, said it had was making “thousands” of the robo-calls.

Last weekend, Congress passed the health reform bill to reign in the power of the big insurance companies and guarantee that regular people can get the…

March 22, 2010 at 5:35 pm | Comments (0)

Dent vs. Callahan heats up

The race in the 15th Congressional District has intensified dramatically this week, with the Democrat John Callahan and incumbent Republican Charlie Dent trading blows over Callahan’s performance as mayor of Bethlehem, Dent’s stance on women’s rights and charges of hypocrisy flying from the state Democratic Party on Callahan’s behalf.

The race is being heavily targeted by Democrats in Washington, and with neither candidate facing a serious primary challenge, the attacks underscore that the general election…

March 18, 2010 at 9:41 am | Comments (3)

Biden to stump for Callahan next month

It was the White House that helped convince Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan to run in the 15th Congressional District, and now it’s pitching in for the effort.

Vice President Joe Biden will come to the district April 15 to campaign for Callahan’s bid against incumbent Republican Charlie Dent, Callahan’s campaign announced Wednesday.

“I am honored to have the support of Vice President Biden here in the Lehigh Valley,” Callahan said in a statement.  “The Vice…

March 17, 2010 at 3:34 pm | Comments (3)