Lasher abandons Dahlkemper challenge

Brian Lasher will not seek the Republican nomination in the 3rd District, leaving freshman Congresswomen Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3) unopposed for now, YourErie.com reported yesterday.

“My organization and fundraising is not where it needs to be in order to create the momentum to carry me while I continue to teach,” wrote Lasher, a social studies teacher in Erie, in a letter to supporters on his Web site. “My first responsibility is to my students, and without the ability to fund a full-time campaign manager to organize meetings and events while I taught, it was not going to work.”

Lasher’s withdrawal leaves Erie County Republicans without an obvious candidate, though businessman Steve Fisher has been considering a run.

“There are several names circulating already, and several more we’re going to talk to and look at,” Brad Moore, the chairman of the Erie County Republican Party, told YourErie.com. “This race is much bigger than one candidate.”

June 23, 2009 at 11:23 am

--pa2010.com Staff

Tags: Brian Lasher, Kathy Dahlkemper