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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 Harrisburg and Washington,” Gerlach said. “Our next Governor must employ those values and put them to work in Harrisburg, and make Pennsylvania a competitive place to do business so we can create jobs and put families back to work. It’s that simple.”

The budget debates in Harrisburg, including proposals to raise the personal income tax, Gerlach said, “show the need for new leadership.”

Though he’s the only Republican to officially declare his candidacy, the Congressman is expected to face off against state Attorney General Tom Corbett and former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan in next year’s primary. Gerlach will be the only candidate in the field with legislative experience, a credential he is sure to make a central point of his candidacy.

“It has been a privilege and an honor to serve the residents of the 6th congressional district for more than six years,” Gerlach said. “But I believe the best place for me to improve the lives of Pennsylvania’s taxpayers, families and seniors is as governor.”

Though party insiders might see him as an underdog, Gerlach will be formidable, if for not other reason than his considerable war chest. His campaign said he had already received more than $1 million in donor commitments, and he is allowed to transfer the money sitting in his House campaign account over to his gubernatorial campaign.

See the campaign’s full release below:

JIM GERLACH TO RUN FOR PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR
Chester Co. Congressman Says Enormous Challenges in Coming Years Demand Proven Leadership
Gerlach Pledges to Create Jobs, Cut Government Spending & Waste and Make Pennsylvania the Leader in America’s Energy Independent Future

(Exton, PA) – Jim Gerlach, a western Pennsylvania native and four-term United States Congressman from Chester County, will run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania next spring. Gerlach is the only Republican to formally declare his candidacy for Governor.
“The economic challenges Pennsylvania faces over the coming years demand proven, fiscally conservative leadership, and a successful record of dealing with a wide-range of tough issues. 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 Harrisburg and Washington. Our next Governor must employ those values and put them to work in Harrisburg, and make Pennsylvania a competitive place to do business so we can create jobs and put families back to work. It’s that simple,” said Gerlach.
“The debate in Harrisburg of raising state income taxes by 16 percent, creating a new tax on one of the most promising energy industries in Pennsylvania, and increasing spending in one of the worst budgets in a generation show the need for new leadership. I cannot sit back and Pennsylvania taxpayers cannot afford to allow the proponents of larger, unsustainable government to prevail. One of my top priorities will be to enact results-based budgeting with performance benchmarks on state spending. This will insure that taxpayers aren’t funding failing government programs year after year without seeing any return on the investment of their hard-earned dollars. My campaign will focus on restoring fiscal sanity to Harrisburg, increasing accountability and cutting waste, creating jobs and making Pennsylvania the leader in America’s energy independent future,” Gerlach continued.
“It has been a privilege and an honor to serve the residents of the 6th Congressional District for more than six years. But I believe the best place for me to improve the lives of Pennsylvania’s taxpayers, families and seniors is as Governor. It is not a decision I made lightly. However, it became clear after careful deliberation with my wife Karen, our six kids, friends, constituents, party leaders and grassroots folks across the state who want to re-energize our state Republican Party, give voters a choice next spring and create a bright economic future for the next generation of Pennsylvanians.”
To date, Congressman Gerlach has secured over $1 million in financial commitments for his gubernatorial run on top of the $200,000 in exploratory funding raised since February. In addition, 100% of his federal campaign funds are transferable to his statewide gubernatorial campaign committee. A formal statewide announcement tour and kick-off fundraising events are being planned for the near future.
“I did not want to wait any longer to make this announcement. I know our team will need plenty of time to formalize our support and organize the campaign’s infrastructure. In addition, I know full well how competitive a 2010 open seat congressional race will become, and I owe it to our Party’s candidates to ensure they have enough time to raise the money and support to be successful,” added Gerlach.
Gerlach is in Washington, D.C. as debate begins on Democrat plans to put government bureaucrats in charge of the nation’s healthcare system. Back in February, Gerlach voted against the bloated federal stimulus package and was the first in Pennsylvania to call on Governor Ed Rendell to establish a stimulus oversight commission to protect and monitor billions of dollars in federal aid from waste, abuse and mismanagement.
About Congressman Jim Gerlach
Congressman Gerlach was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002, representing parts of Berks, Chester, Lehigh and Montgomery counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. He has faced stiff Democrat opposition each and every election year, enduring nearly $15 million in Democrat spending against him since 2002 and surviving two Democrat wave elections. Now a majority Democrat congressional district by registration, Gerlach won his largest margin of victory and more votes than any other Republican on the ballot last fall as President Obama carried the district with 60% of the vote.
Congressman Gerlach grew up in the small western Pennsylvania steel town of Ellwood City (Lawrence County). Born and raised by a single working mom after his father was tragically killed by a drunk driver, Gerlach went onto graduate from Dickinson College and Dickinson School of Law in central Pennsylvania. He served two terms in the state House and two terms in the state Senate before being elected to Congress. He and his wife Karen have six children and reside in Chester Springs, Chester County.
A full biography can be found at www.gerlachforpa.com/biography .
Social Networking
Today’s announcement was jointly announced on Jim Gerlach’s Facebook page, which can be found here, and his campaign Twitter page, which is found at www.Twitter.com/gerlachforpa.

July 14, 2009 at 11:33 am

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Jim Gerlach, PA-6, Pat Meehan, Tom Corbett

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