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EXCLUSIVE: Hoeffel considering gubernatorial bid

Five years after he gave up his Congressional seat in an unsuccessful run for Senate, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel is mulling a run for Governor, two Democrats who have spoken with him told pa2010.com.

Hoeffel would be the only elected official from the Philadelphia region in the Democratic primary—Tom Knox is from Philadelphia but doesn’t hold office—and his supporters say he would be a genuine progressive in a race that seems to be lacking them.

“He’s going to spend some time testing the waters,” one Democrat familiar with Hoeffel’s thinking said. “I’ve spoken with him personally and I can tell you he’s thinking about it.”

In an interview Thursday, Hoeffel did not deny his interest but stressed that he was simply keeping his options open. Still, he alluded to concerns about the candidates presently in the race, all of whom, he said, are “good people.”

“I believe there’s got to be southeastern Pennsylvania progressives in these state races in 2010,” Hoeffel said. “I think it’s really important for the future of the party. I think that’s what will lead to victories for the party statewide. I want to make sure there are good candidates running, people that I can support. If I think I’ve got something different to offer, I’d think about that.

“I haven’t made any decisions, I’m nowhere near making any decisions,” he added. “I’m not raising money. I’m not taking any aggressive steps.”

He was clearly referring to the two southwestern candidates, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Auditor General Jack Wagner, who are widely viewed as more socially conservative than Hoeffel and other Philadelphia-area Democrats. The other Democrat familiar with Hoeffel’s thinking said that could potentially be the basis for his candidacy.

“He would be the most bona fide progressive in the race,” the Democrat said.

Hoeffel was elected in 1998 to the 13th Congressional District, serving three terms before his 2004 run against Senator Arlen Specter. He lost by about 10 points. Hoeffel was briefly a candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2006, but stepped aside at the behest of the party and Gov. Ed Rendell, who wanted to bring geographic balance to the ticket.

The next year, he was elected a Montgomery County Commissioner, and in a political coup that has delighted local Democrats and infuriated Republicans, he formed a power-sharing agreement with GOP Commissioner Jim Matthews. The move locked Republican Commissioner Bruce Castor out of power and gave Democrats significant control over policy despite being outnumbered on the Board of Commissioners.

In the interview, Hoeffel said his most recent service should give voters an idea of his ability to work across party lines.

“I think government today at all levels is just gridlocked by partisanship,” he said.

July 9, 2009 at 11:00 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Dan Onorato, Jack Wagner, Joe Hoeffel, Tom Knox

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