Dow-Ford declares against Holden; still staffing up

Congressman Tim Holden’s recent statement that he’ll oppose the Senate health care bill if it comes up for a vote has given his Democratic primary challenger in the 17th District more ammunition against him. And Sheila Dow-Ford is using it.

Dow-Ford, an education policy advocate and underdog candidate against the longtime incumbent, officially declared her candidacy Thursday in Harrisburg. Her announcement at the state Capitol came just two days after she formally filed…

March 14, 2010 at 2:23 pm | Comments (4)

Where the ‘nay’ votes on health care are heading

Only two Pennsylvania Democrats voted against health care reform legislation the first time around. And only one of those two still might change his mind for Round Two.

Congressmen Jason Altmire (D-4) and Tim Holden (D-17) both opposed a reform bill that passed the House late last year.

Altmire said on Fox News last weekend that he’s keeping an “open mind” for if and when the legislation comes back around for a second vote. But…

March 12, 2010 at 6:50 pm | Comments (12)

A big win for Trivedi in MontCo

PLYMOUTH MEETING—Congressional hopeful Manan Trivedi won the endorsement of Montgomery County Democrats Thursday night, capping a furious run in which Trivedi has gone from relatively late entrant into the race to the favorite of the party’s rank-and-file throughout the 6th District.

Trivedi, a Reading physician and Iraq War veteran, overwhelmingly beat out former Inquirer editorial writer Doug Pike for the endorsement, winning 77 votes to Pike’s 28. It was an even larger margin of victory…

March 12, 2010 at 5:09 am | Comments (45)

Republicans pick Burns for 12th District special election

LATROBE—Wealthy businessman Tim Burns easily won the Republican Party’s nomination for special election in the 12th Congressional District Thursday, setting up a May 18 showdown with Democrat Mark Critz.

Burns captured well over a majority of the votes from local party insiders at Saint Vincent College here, beating military veteran Bill Russell 85-46, according to preliminary vote tallies. Russell vowed to fight on in the primary to be held that same day. For Republicans, Burns’…

March 12, 2010 at 5:00 am | Comments (9)

For Burns, Russell is out of sight and out of mind

LATROBE—Even as his opponent vows to press on and challenge him in the May primary, Republican businessman Tim Burns says he’s not thinking much about Bill Russell now.

“I can’t be concerned with what Bill decides to do,” Burns told reporters here Thursday, shortly after winning the GOP nomination for the 12th District special election. “We are focused completely on this special election. From my campaign’s perspective, we are facing off against Mark…

March 12, 2010 at 4:47 am | Comments (4)

The three 12th District candidates who went nowhere

LATROBE—Bill Choby, Luke Summerfield and Ron Robertson all came here Thursday night to seek the GOP’s nomination in the 12th District special election. They addressed party insiders, patiently took their questions, and left the podium to polite applause.

But none of the three was formally nominated for consideration in the endorsement vote, ending their candidacies as quickly as they had started.

Choby, a Johnstown dentist who ran against John Murtha multiple times, had been expected…

March 12, 2010 at 1:43 am | Comments (0)

Russell: ‘The fix was in’

LATROBE—Republican Bill Russell spent weeks seeking to discredit the GOP’s nominating process for the 12th District special election.

He stuck to that tack shortly after his opponent Tim Burns won the party’s nomination.

“The fix was in,” Russell told reporters shortly after the vote at Saint Vincent College here. “There was a lot of pressure on members of the party, especially members of the state committee.”

The state GOP took pains to frame…

March 11, 2010 at 10:05 pm | Comments (4)

Dems say Burns ‘only cares about his bank account’

Democrats were quick to respond to the Republican Party’s selection of Tim Burns for the 12th District special election Thursday, seeking to frame him as a heartless businessman who sold his pharmacy technology company even though he knew it might lead to layoffs.

“Tim Burns only cares about his bank account and not about jobs in western Pennsylvania,” Shripal Shah, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in…

March 11, 2010 at 9:55 pm | Comments (4)

Gleason passes on a chance to hit Critz—for now

LATROBE—The wide-eyed smile on GOP chairman Rob Gleason’s face made clear that he’s relishing going up against Democrat Mark Critz in the 12th District special election.

But held off on the criticism for now, content to make the race to succeed John Murtha about notional issues.

“I’m not so sure it matters who their candidate is,” Gleason told pa2010.com before his party met to select its candidate Thursday night. “This is an election about Democrats…

March 11, 2010 at 7:17 pm | Comments (5)