Meehan and Welch will meet soon, source says

Now that former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan seems likely to

August 7, 2009 at 8:35 pm | Comments (7)

Gerlach says Meehan’s likely exit will bolster him

With former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan expected to p“Meehan’s planned departure,” Gerlach’s campaign spokesman Mark Campbell said in a statement Friday evening, “greatly strengthens Jim Gerlach’s…

August 7, 2009 at 8:18 pm | Comments (0)

Meehan now ‘seriously considering’ Congressional run

Two months after pa2010.com reported that former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan was p“Pat received a warm reception from people of all walks of life as he explored a run for governor,” Meehan spokeswoman Virginia Davis said in a statement. “And during this past year,…

August 7, 2009 at 6:05 pm | Comments (8)

Platts endorses Gerlach

Congressman Todd Platts (R-19) threw his support behind Congressman Jim Gerlach’s (R-6) gubernatorial bid on Wednesday, giving Gerlach his first publicly announced endorsement as he seeks to build momentum in the uphill primary against state Attorney General Tom Corbett.

Gerlach only recently entered  GOP primary, in which Corbett has been seeking to lock up party support early and some party leaders have even been trying to clear the field for him. But Platts’ endorsement could…

August 5, 2009 at 3:09 pm | Comments (8)

Gerlach says internal poll shows him trailing Corbett, but with a profile to win

State Attorney General Tom Corbett holds a significant lead over Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) in next year’s gubernatorial primary, but Gerlach’s political profile is one that voters may ultimately prefer when they go to the polls, according to an internal poll memo released Thursday by Gerlach’s campaign.

Campaigns rarely release internal polling data that doesn’t show them winning outright, but Gerlach is clearly looking to build the perception that his experience as a legislator is…

July 30, 2009 at 10:32 am | Comments (9)

Santorum thinks Meehan should bow out, run for Congress instead

Joining a growing chorus of Republican leaders, former Senator Rick Santorum says that Pat Meehan should abandon his gubernatorial aspirations in favor of a Congressional run.

In a recent interview with pa2010.com, Santorum said he got the sense that Meehan, a former U.S. Attorney, was now beginning to look at other options, including p“There’s a tremendous…

July 21, 2009 at 1:35 pm | Comments (9)

Corbett leads Republicans in new guv poll and Dems in tight race; Rendell approval slips

Reflecting his strong name recognition from two statewide election victories, Attorney General Tom Corbett holds a significant lead over his Republican rivals in the race for governor, according to a new poll. But the Democratic primary is in a statistical dead heat, giving even more reason for other candidates to consider jumping into the contest.

The Quinnipiac University poll released today, which also gave lame-duck Gov. Ed Rendell his lowest apporval ratings to date, showed…

July 21, 2009 at 7:27 am | Comments (6)

Gerlach makes it official: He’s running for Governor

Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) will run for Governor next year, adding another Republican to the competitive primary field and creating an open House seat that the GOP will be hard-pressed to defend.

Gerlach, in a statement Tuesday morning, said the economic challenges facing the state call for his leadership.

“From cutting state spending, income taxes and welfare rolls, I have been on the front lines for years fighting for smaller government and greater efficiency in…

July 14, 2009 at 11:33 am | Comments (1)

Gerlach reportedly to announce gubernatorial run

Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) will forgo reelection next year to make a run at the Governor’s Mansion instead, The Morning Call reports.

Gerlach has for months been considering a gubernatorial bid, even as local and national Republicans have shuddered at the prospect of defending his increasingly-Democratic seat without their incumbent. But The Morning Call

July 14, 2009 at 6:45 am | Comments (1)

Meehan to return $10K

Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat Meehan will return a $10,000 contribution from a Delaware County GOP committee because the money was given almost immediately after the committee received $15,000 from a Philadelphia labor union Meehan had investigated as U.S. Attorney, The Inquirer reports.

The money is only a tiny fraction of a campaign war chest that long ago passed $700,000. But after The Inquirer pointed out that the Ridley Park Republican Committee had given Meehan the…

July 8, 2009 at 9:37 am | Comments (1)