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Dan Hirschhorn's Blog

Dan Hirschhorn's Blog

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The not-so-secret is out: Dems don’t see a primary in PA-7

There are three Democrats running for the party’s nomination in the 7th Congressional District, and one who’s still considering a run, but Thursday quietly brought confirmation of what we had long assumed: Democrats already see state Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) as their candidate.

A Politico report brings us a list of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s top-priority races. In Pennsylvania, the 6th, the 7th and the 15th are all among the party’s “top races.” But whereas the DCCC lists the party’s candidate in the 6th as still-to-be-determined in a primary, it matter-of-factly lists Lentz as the candidate in the 7th.

This isn’t really a surprise. The DCCC wanted Lentz to run in 2006 before Joe Sestak came on the scene. Lentz eventually stepped aside at the urging of Gov. Ed Rendell. Ever since Sestak began flirting with a Senate bid last year, Lentz has been gearing up for a run. And his campaign has been far more active than those of environmental lawyer Gail Conner or political consultant E. Teresa Touey. State Representative Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) is still mulling a run, but with each passing day, party insiders increasingly assume he’s out.

And last month we overheard Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8), who’s on the DCCC’s recruiting committee, saying that of Lentz: “That’s our guy.”

So there it is. We had assumed this anyway, but now we know for sure: Democrats consider Lentz their presumptive nominee.

Explains why he spent the day jostling with his general election opponent.

January 14, 2010 at 11:30 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

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  1. David Diano

    Jan 15th, 2010

    In the 6th, the fundraising and campaigning is balanced enough to make the outcome difficult to call.

    As for the 7th, Conner is still in the race. She plans to gather signatures and get on the ballot. Next month is the Delco Dem nominating convention, where she’ll have the chance to introduce herself to those that don’t know her. There’ll be hundreds of Dems there to sign her and Lentz’s petitions, one they present their respective cases. I don’t see Touey pursuing this much longer or getting on the ballot.

    The DCCC’s decision is probably based more on fundraising dollars and organization size than their past flirtation with Lentz as a candidate. If Conner had $450,000 cash on hand, too, the DCCC would probably wait-and-see. If she had $1 million, they’d be like “Bryan who?”.

    What I’m trying to say is that the DCCC’s decision is hardly news, considering the current fundraising levels.

  2. Donald

    Jan 15th, 2010

    I see the the Pennsylvania mafia led by Rendell is at it again. And now I see that PA2010 is part of that Mafia.

    They spread these lies to make people get out of races because a person is not the annointed one.
    Sorry, fellas in the smoky room. Your average voter is not this stupid.

    Aren’t we in the United States? A person doesn’t need the blessings or PERMISSION from the old party regulars who got us into this mess to run for a public office. Maybe there is some racketeering that should be investigated?

    The above writer is a bit naive. This is not about money. This is about who they know will keep doing the bidding of the powers that be no matter how bad that is for the middle class and small businesses and regular folks. Lentz is your man if you want more of the same. I don’t.

  3. quadmom

    Jan 15th, 2010

    From what I can see, nobody anointed anyone. Lentz has been working diligently, which most here acknowledge. His hard work is clearly garnering attention locally and nationally. I can’t see why there is a problem with this.

    Connor and Toomey might be campaigning, but not that I have seen. If they get the signatures, they will be on the ballot, and all Dems will be free to make their own decisions.

  4. huw

    Jan 15th, 2010

    title of this article is a little misleading. connor and touey are both campaigning and a this stage still in the race as is independent candidate Jim
    Schelling. Connor looks like she’ll hang in through the primary, Touey may not get the signatures. But the notion that this race is over is at this point premature.

  5. David Diano

    Jan 16th, 2010

    Donald-
    Put down the crack pipe, or whatever you are smoking. The DCCC doesn’t give a rat’s @ss what candidates the Dems run in the 7th district, as long as they can raise enough money to fight the GOP machine. If Conner or Touey were even with Lentz, the DCCC would step back and let it play itself out.

    By, backing Lentz early, they are merely trying to focus fundraising to what they consider the most viable campaign. The candidates could be filed as A, B and C for all they care.

    “doing the bidding of the powers that be” is what the RNC and GOP is looking for in Meehan.

    However, it’s up to the Dems of the 7th-CD to pick who they want. The DCCC doesn’t control our district. They don’t send in people to collect signatures. They don’t attend our conventions.

    This is certainly a boost to the Lentz campaign, but it doesn’t prevent Conner or Touey from collecting signatures to get on the ballot.

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