After late entrance, Barletta has $52K; still in debt

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta only had about a month to raise money for his third congressional run before the door closed on 2009. In that time, racked up about $60,000 in donations, finishing the year with about $52,000 in cash on hand, according to

February 1, 2010 at 7:30 am | Comments (0)

Fundraising sparse, Paige signals he’s ready to spend

With relatively few campaign contributions to boast, Republican hedge fund executive Chris Paige signaled last weekend that he’s prepared to spend at least $300,000 on his attempt to win the GOP’s nomination in the 11th Congressional District.

Paige, considered an underdog to party-favorite Lou Barletta, has raised about $21,000 during the election cycle so far, and finished 2009 with only $3,500 in cash on hand, according to

February 1, 2010 at 7:00 am | Comments (0)

Pa. pols react to State of the Union

Even before President Obama had started delivering his first State of the Union address Wednesday night, elected officials and candidates for office were putting out statements in response.

Here is a sampling of the reactions.

Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7), candidate for Senate:

“I applaud the President tonight for recognizing that in 2008, Americans voted for change, not just of parties or policies, but for a fundamental change in politics and the way we do business…

January 28, 2010 at 11:45 am | Comments (8)

Barletta’s primary challenger does his own messaging (Updated)

In going after political opponents, most candidates for office look to staffers to do the dirty work of writing up press releases and crafting the message of their campaigns.

Not Chris Paige.

A few months into his Republican bid for Congress in the 11th District, and barely a month after he

January 6, 2010 at 4:02 pm | Comments (0)

Barletta: Kanjorski doesn’t have Obama this year

NEW YORK—Republicans were pretty confident they would unseat Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) last year. If the mood at Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta’s reception here Friday is any indication, they’re almost cocky this time.

Amid chatter of things being different in Barletta’s third run against Kanjorski this decade, Republicans took solace in one key political change: Barack Obama will not be on the ballot.

“There’s no Barack Obama this year,” Barletta told pa2010.com during a brief…

December 11, 2009 at 5:58 pm | Comments (3)

Analysts see another close race in 11th District

Political watchers from Washington to Harrisburg widely considered Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) to be the most vulnerable Democrat in Congress last year, but that didn’t stop Kanjorski from beating every prediction and

December 10, 2009 at 7:30 am | Comments (1)

Barletta: More of the same

It looks like Lou Barletta hasn’t had enough bites of the sour apple and wants to go back for a third chomp.

The problem with another candidacy for the Mayor of Hazleton is that he doesn’t offer anything new. He’s still lumped in with Washington Republicans and the Party of NO that doesn’t listen to needs of the residents of the 11th District.

Today, state Democratic Party chairman T.J. Rooney offered the following statement on…

December 9, 2009 at 5:06 pm | Comments (0)

Dems say Barletta’s old news… and raised taxes

After Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta once again

December 9, 2009 at 4:57 pm | Comments (0)

Paige: Thinking Barletta can win is the ‘definition of insanity’

Shortly after he was

December 9, 2009 at 4:51 pm | Comments (1)

Kanjorski camp: ‘Barletta is looking for strike three and you’re out’

Congressman Paul Kanjorski’s (D-11) campaign was quick to react Wednesday to Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta’s announcement that he

December 9, 2009 at 12:30 pm | Comments (1)