ELEPHANT CORNER: Garry Cobb Plays Offense In New Jersey

Monday night Retired Air Force Colonel and Republican activist KEVIN KELLY hosted a fundraiser at the Field House at the Reading Terminal for congressional candidate GARRY COBB. A Monday Night Eagles game was the perfect backdrop for a Cobb event as he played in the NFL for 11 years, mostly as a linebacker for the Eagles. Kelly introduced Cobb and emphasized the need to elect people like Cobb who have lived and worked in the “real world” and are not professional politicians.

Cobb thanked everyone for coming and briefly spoke of the importance of personal responsibility, and the need to leave the United States a great place for our children and grandchildren. He has been involved in many civic organizations that help young people grow into responsible adults, including the Philadelphia Youth Study Center, the Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia, and the South Jersey Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Since leaving the Eagles he has been a sportscaster. He is known for his sense of humor on the air, however, anyone who saw him play football knows he can be a serious competitor. Cobb played with BUDDY RYAN’S feared 46-Defense: JEROME BROWN, SETH JOINER and REGGIE WHITE.

The event was well attended. While Cobb is running for a New Jersey congressional seat, there were a number of Philadelphians in the crowd including WARD LEADERS LOU LANNI, DENISE FUREY and JACINTH ROBERTS. Republican activist and retired naval officer JOE EASTMAN as well as candidate for City Council MATT WOLFE were there.

Speaking of Wolfe, there was a fundraiser for him in Harrisburg Tuesday evening in the offices of political communications expert CHARLIE GEROW. The host committee included Republican City Committee Chair STATE REP. JOHN TAYLOR as well as a number of other Philadelphia-area State Reps, including KATE HARPER and NICK MICCARELLI. Retired STATE SEN. EARL BAKER of Chester Co. was also on the committee along with Pennsylvania Republican Party CHAIRMAN ROB GLEASON. I heard the event was well attended, and included people from outside the state capital including PROF. JIM BROUSSARD and PAGOP STATE COMMITTEEMAN DON ELY.

Wolfe ran for City Council in May in the special election to fill the seat vacated by BILL GREEN, who left to become the Chairman of the School Reform Commission. Wolfe is planning on running for City Council next year for a full term.

The mayoral election is not too far away. Former CITY SOLICITOR KEN TRUJILLO announced plans to run for Mayor this week. Former aide to MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER TERRY GILLEN and former STATE SEN. MILTON STREET have also announced their candidacy. I believe Trujillo is the strongest candidate among the three.

The field will get more competitive as we get into next year as many of the other rumored candidates will have to resign from office to run, including CONTROLLER ALAN BUTKOVITZ, COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL CLARK and COUNCILMAN JIM KENNEY. The City Charter prohibits city employees and elected officials from running for an office they do not currently hold.

STATE SEN. ANTHONY WILLIAMS is rumored to be interested and he does not have to resign from the State Senate to do so. However, it would look better to wait until after November when he is up for reelection to his Senate seat.

No one on the Republican side has announced their candidacy yet. DANA SPAIN has been exploring a run for a few years but is still on the sidelines. We have heard the President Judge of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court RON CASTILLE may be interested. He is scheduled to retire from the court at the end of this year.

The other Republican name mentioned is DOUG OLIVER. Oliver was Mayor Nutter’s press secretary and is now an executive at the Philadelphia Gas Works.

Castille probably would be the strongest candidate owing to in large part to name recognition. Also he was the last Republican to win a citywide election (District Attorney) except for the two City Council and one City Commissioner seats set aside by the terms of the City Charter for representatives of a non-governing party.