Doherty’s campaign manager out, he turns to sister (Updated)

HARRISBURG—Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty confirmed rumors Friday that his gubernatorial campaign manager was no longer on staff, and said his sister who ran his previous mayoral races had assumed the position.

Doherty said that Corey Platt, who had been managing the campaign the last few months, returned to Missouri. Platt could not be reached for comment, but Doherty called the parting of ways “very friendly.”

His sister, Virginia McGregor, is now running the campaign. Though…

January 29, 2010 at 11:30 pm | Comments (10)

Hoeffel jabs Doherty, Onorato on abortion

HARRISBURG—When Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel said that “consistency” is important regarding one’s stance on abortion-rights, it was fairly obvious who he was taking a poke at: his gubernatorial opponents Dan Onorato and Chris Doherty.

“They have straddled the issue,” Hoeffel charged in an interview after making the remark during a debate between the Democratic candidates for governor here Friday night. “You have to take a stand for it or against…

January 29, 2010 at 11:15 pm | Comments (3)

Conner has less than $3K on hand

As she attempts to mount a viable primary bid in the 7th Congressional District, Democrat Gail Conner is staring down the barrel of a daunting fundraising gap.

Conner, an environmental lawyer and community organizer, has raised about $30,000 since launching her campaign in November, according to newly-filed campaign finance data. Much of came in the form of in-kind contributions from the candidate. And her campaign had only $2,700 in cash on hand at the end…

January 29, 2010 at 8:00 pm | Comments (0)

From the Blogs

Live-blogging the gubernatorial debate

by Dan Hirschhorn

HARRISBURG—Good evening political junkies. We’re live-blogging the Democratic gubernatorial debate at the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit. All four candidates are here.

So stay tuned.

7:27 p.m.—The four candidates enter to “Revolution” by the Beatles. Interesting.

7:28—Eileen Connolly of SEIU says all the candidates were invited, only the Democrats came. I can’t imagine why.

7:30—Connolly lays out format. Each candidate gets a two-minute opening and closing statement. “I will cut you off.” Order is alphabetical by last…

January 29, 2010 at 7:29 pm | Comments (11)

Dahlkemper’s raised just over $1M

Going into her first reelection fight, Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3) has raised $1 million and finished 2009 with about $683,000 in cash on hand, according to campaign finance data.

Without a primary challenge and with Republicans confronting at least a five-person nominating contest, the fourth-quarter fundraising numbers show Dahlkemper well-positioned to fight for her seat in a conservative-leaning district that the GOP is increasingly targeting.

Her campaign raised about $200,000 during…

January 29, 2010 at 7:19 pm | Comments (0)

Altmire has almost $1M

Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4) has raised more than $1.2 million in campaign cash since winning a second term in 2008, and has spent lightly, leaving him with almost $980,000 in cash on hand at the end of 2009, according to campaign finance data.

Altmire’s campaign committee brought in about $342,000 during the least three months of last year, putting him ahead of the pace he set last cycle.

With it seeming…

January 29, 2010 at 7:15 pm | Comments (0)

Dow-Ford says Holden ‘has been a follower, not a leader’

For Sheila Dow-Ford, voting against health care reform was the last straw.

So when Congressman Tim Holden (D-17) became one of only two House Democrats in Pennsylvania to oppose the health care legislation that passed late last year, Dow-Ford, an education policy expert, decided to challenge the incumbent of her own party.

“His evasive, avoidance and cowardly manner on health care … was my determination to run,” Dow-Ford told pa2010.com in an interview this week.…

January 29, 2010 at 6:40 pm | Comments (2)

Dahlkemper challenger loaned campaign $150K

In his bid to unseat Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3), businessman Paul Huber is reaching into his own wallet.

Huber has raised about $130,000 during the election cycle so far, and finished 2009 with about $225,000 in cash on hand, according to campaign finance data. But his campaign also has $150,000 in debt, all of it from loans Huber made to his candidacy. One $50,000 loan was made at the end of…

January 29, 2010 at 12:18 pm | Comments (1)

Schroder had raised $186K before leaving 6th District race

Before Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) decided to seek reelection, one of the Republicans who had hoped to succeed him was on his way to building a fundraising base.

State Representative Curt Schroder (R-Chester), who dropped out of the race shortly after Gerlach got back into it, had raised about $186,000 by the end of last year, according to campaign finance data. He had about $127,000 in cash on hand.

Only the…

January 29, 2010 at 11:56 am | Comments (3)

Kanjorski enjoys big fundraising edge over O’Brien

Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) had almost $975,000 in campaign cash at the end of last year, giving him a war chest almost nine times the size of his primary challenger’s, according to campaign finance data.

Kanjorski raised about $233,000 in the last three months of 2009, according to his fourth-quarter campaign finance report. Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien, who is running against Kanjorski in the May primary, raised about $180,000 and…

January 29, 2010 at 11:47 am | Comments (2)