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LEFTOVERS: More on the 12th, Cook downgrades Kanjorski, Rohrer on the ‘rebellion’

The pieces are almost done coming together in the 12th Congressional District. Friend-of-the-site Alex Roarty reports that wealthy Crown America Mark Pasquerilla is seriously considering a run. Though he has been a Murtha supporter in the past, Pasquerilla is a registered Republican whose ability to self-fund a campaign could rival that of fellow GOPer Tim Burns.

Alex also tells us that state Representatives Jeff Pyle (R-Indiana) and Dave Reed (R-Indiana), as well as state Senator Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), are no longer in the picture. And The Daily American reports that Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Ceraso is beginning to circulate petitions to get on the primary ballot as a Democrat.

With the key players seeming to be mostly determined, we’ll offer up our take on the current field soon. Stay tuned also for a deeper look into how both parties will be picking their candidates for the special election to finish the late Congressman John Murtha’s term.

Meanwhile, Cook Political Report has downgraded Congressman Paul Kanjorski’s (D-11) chances of winning reelection, changing its forecast in the 11th District from “likely Democratic” to “leans Democratic.” This will surely be played up by Kanjorski’s primary opponent, Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien, who has been making an electability argument a central part of his campaign argument.

And underdog conservative candidate for governor Sam Rohrer had something to say about GOP chairman Rob Gleason’s recent remark that “rebelling against our party’s decision may sound romantic, but ultimately it hurts our party.” In an e-mail to supporters, Rohrer pointed out that local Republican organizations in Union and Bradford counties had recently decided to forgo an endorsement in the race, despite the state GOP’s endorsement of Attorney General Tom Corbett.

“The ‘rebellion’ he’s talking about is happening in county organizations all over Pennsylvania as locally elected committee people choose a different course,” Rohrer said. “They’re responding to Republican State Committee’s decision to close the door to real competition.”

February 18, 2010 at 11:30 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Corey O'Brien, John Murtha, Mark Pasquerilla, PA-11, PA-12, Paul Kanjorski, Republican Party, Sam Rohrer, Tom Corbett

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