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)

Kanjorski enjoys big fundraising edge over O’Brien

Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) had almost $975,000 in campaign cash at the end of last year, giving him a war chest almost nine times the size of his primary challenger’s, according to campaign finance data.

Kanjorski raised about $233,000 in the last three months of 2009, according to full story

January 29, 2010 at 11:47 am | Comments (2)

O’Brien says he’s raised $200K

Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien said Tuesday that his congressional campaign had raised more than $200,000 last year, finishing 2009 with about $110,000 in cash on hand.

O’Brien, who is challenging Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) in the May primary, has

January 26, 2010 at 7:07 pm | Comments (3)

O’Brien is on the air

Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien is up with his first campaign commercial of the 11th District Democratic primary, a 30-second spot in which he vows to bring jobs to the region.

“We need work,” O’Brien says in the ad, embedded above. “I have a six-year-old, a four-year-old and one on the way. And they’re going to have jobs when they get older, right here in Pennsylvania.”

The campaign said the ad was running on cable…

January 25, 2010 at 8:44 pm | Comments (0)

On financial reform, Kanjorski gets an indirect Obama boost (Updated)

Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) received something of an indirect boost from the White House Thursday when attacks from a primary opponent who accuses him of being too close to Wall Street, the president’s seemingly new-found interest…

January 21, 2010 at 8:17 pm | Comments (1)

In video, O’Brien’s just a regular guy

Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien released the first Web video of his congressional campaign on Wednesday, a six-and-half minute biography juxtaposing interviews with the 11th District hopeful with testimonials from people like the local high school coach and the mayor of his hometown.

The video, embedded above, was O’Brien’s first concerted attempt to define himself for voters, less than 16 weeks before he looks to unseat longtime incumbent Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) in a primary.…

January 20, 2010 at 4:14 pm | Comments (0)

O’Brien: Kanjorski is ‘protecting Wall Street’

Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien sought Thursday to frame his primary against Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) as a contest between Main Street and Wall Street, asserting that campaign finance reports to be published this month would prove who is “protecting Wall Street, and who is protecting Main Street.”

“He hasn’t supported working families in our region because he is too busy protecting Wall Street,” O’Brien told pa2010.com after

January 7, 2010 at 4:00 pm | Comments (6)

O’Brien rolls out a local jobs plan

Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien called for sweeping investment in local infrastructure Thursday, laying out the first policy position of his primary challenge to Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11).

At events in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, and later in a policy statement and a phone interview, O’Brien said his “Project Main Street” plan would replace aging infrastructure, bury utility lines, widen sidewalks and renovate small business facades. He indicated that much of the costs, which he…

January 7, 2010 at 3:48 pm | Comments (0)

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)