Lentz or Vitali? The question exposes a DelCo divide (Updated)

Ever since Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) began signaling that he’d leave his House seat open in favor of a Senate run, Delaware County Democrats have been determined to hold onto a district it took them almost 20 years to win back. To that end, many have rallied around state Representative Bryan Lentz as the best candidate. But it seems that just as many have been prodding state Representative Greg Vitali to enter the race. And…

October 1, 2009 at 7:00 am | Comments (10)

Touey enters PA-7 as a ‘pro-business, no-waste, progressive Democrat’ (Updated)

DREXEL HILL—E. Teresa Touey returned from 18 years as a Massachusetts resident Monday morning to declare her candidacy for one of the most competitive House seats in Pennsylvania, when she stood by a train stop here and entered the Democratic primary in the 7th District.

“I am a pro-business, no-waste, progressive Democrat who will work tirelessly for the voters of the congressional seventh of Pennsylvania to promote its prosperity, and to strengthen its schools, and…

September 28, 2009 at 10:53 am | Comments (12)

Former aide to Kennedy, Sestak to run in PA-7

A political consultant who has worked for Congressman Joe Sestak and the late Senator Ted Kennedy is planning to announce her candidacy to run for the House seat being vacated by Sestak.

E. Teresa Touey, a Glenolden native who has lived in Massachusetts since the early 1990s, will return home to declare her candidacy for the 7th District on Monday. She is the first Democrat to signal that she will definitely run in next year’s…

September 24, 2009 at 12:13 pm | Comments (41)

Meehan stops short of opposing health care legislation

DREXEL HILL—Even as he outlined a textbook conservative position on health care policy, GOP Congressional hopeful Pat Meehan on Monday passed on the opportunity to directly criticize health care legislation that is emerging in Washington.

“It’s such a complex network of proposals, there really is at at this point in time no sound health care plan as of yet,” Meehan said after announcing his candidacy in the 7th District here. “There may be…

September 15, 2009 at 10:08 am | Comments (0)

Meehan and Welch: Nothing but nice things to say

Steven Welch is “very impressive.” So says Pat Meehan.

Pat Meehan is a “good-government guy.” So says Steven Welch.

If there’s any enmity between Welch and Meehan after the former ditched his 7th Congressional district aspirations for the latter, neither candidate is showing a hint. By all accounts, Welch and Meehan already had a good relationship before Meehan signaled his interest in the race, prompting Welch, at the behest of GOP leaders, to run for…

September 15, 2009 at 7:43 am | Comments (1)

For Meehan, the first obstacle is going from state money rules to federal

Former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan had raised a solid $800,000 toward his gubernatorial campaign, campaign insiders say, before switching gears and deciding to run for Congress instead.

How much of that he can use now remains an open question.

For Meehan’s political team, which spent Monday rolling out his 7th Congressional District announcement, one of the first challenges is getting whatever money it can out of a state campaign committee while also establishing…

September 14, 2009 at 4:17 pm | Comments (0)

Dems have harsh words for Meehan

The state Democratic Party wasted little time in attacking Pat Meehan Monday, calling him a “hand picked, loyal partisan” for whom GOP leaders are clearing the field in the 7th Congressional District.

“It’s obvious that Meehan’s candidacy is nothing but a proxy for the right wing party bosses who cleared the way for him to run,” Montgomery County Democratic Party chairman Marcel Groen said in a statement released by the state party. “Their…

September 14, 2009 at 3:39 pm | Comments (5)

Meehan makes Congressional run official (Updated)

DREXEL HILL—Addressing a throng of supporters on his family’s front lawn here, former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan formally announced his candidacy for Congress Monday, setting up one of the most competitive House races in the country.

“I think we’re in for one donnybrook of a general election,” said political scientist G. Terry Madonna. “This is gonna be one of the most watched, most fascinating contests in the country. It’s in a swing state, in a…

September 14, 2009 at 11:26 am | Comments (8)

Switching races for Meehan, Welch to run in 6th District

Republican businessman Steven Welch said Saturday that he will run for Congress in the 6th District, abandoning his campaign for the 7th District seat now being pursued by former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan.

Ever since Meehan made clear last month that he would be seeking the 7th District office instead of the governorship, GOP insiders had assumed Welch would, in one way or another, step aside for a candidate most Republicans consider more politically potent.…

September 12, 2009 at 3:13 pm | Comments (43)

Meehan set to announce Congressional bid Monday

Former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan seems ready to announce his run for Congress on Monday, with a series of events across the 7th District that are being billed as a “major campaign announcement.”

Meehan, who was preparing a run for governor before signaling last month that he would step aside in favor of state Attorney General Tom Corbett, has been considered a lock to enter the race for Democrat Joe Sestak’s seat ever since he…

September 10, 2009 at 12:54 pm | Comments (5)