ELEPHANT CORNER: Republicans Honor Amoore, Fenerty

Tuesday evening, the United Republican Club held its annual fundraiser at the SugarHouse Casino. The United Republican Club is the oldest continuously running Republican clubhouse in the country. Ward Leader Kevin Pasquay is the Chairman of the Board of the URC. REPUBLICAN CITY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN and STATE REP. JOHN TAYLOR joined him on the podium.

The URC every year honors two people for outstanding service to the Republican Party. The Mary Tierney Award is given to a woman and this year’s awardee was Montgomery Co. businesswoman RENEE AMOORE. Amoore is also the chairwoman of the New Majority Council.

The William Meehan Award is given to a man and this year’s awardee was the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, VINCE FENERTY. Fenerty is also the Republican Leader of the 31^st Ward. Fenerty, in addition to his service to the party, has been supportive of his parish, St. Anne’s in Kensington. Many of the 100-plus crowd continued the party at the URC clubhouse at Frankford & Allegheny.

SUPPORTING Commissioner Al Schmidt’s leadership at funder hosted by Mike Cibik were, from left, Al Taubenberger, 25th GOP Ward Leader Mark Wuller, 5th GOP Ward Leader Mike Cibik, Appellate Court aspirant Judge Brad Moss and 21st GOP Ward Leader Walt Vogler with Schmidt. Photo by Maria MerlinoLast Thursday, CITY COMMISSIONER AL SCHMIDT had a fundraiser at the home of MIKE CIBIK and MONICA CZAPLA. The host committee included US SEN. PAT TOOMEY, Pennsylvania’s member of the Republican National Committee BOB ASHER and Chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party ROB GLEASON. Many ward leaders attended the packed event. Schmidt is planning on running for reelection next year to his City Commissioner seat. (See photos in next week’s issue.)

Last Friday, LIONEL SOSA was the speaker at an event at the Union League sponsored by the Spanish-language paper Al Día. Sosa spoke of how to court the Latino voter. He has been involved in political advertising for over 30 years. He has primarily worked with Republicans and has advised eight Republican Presidential candidates, starting with RONALD REAGAN. He is a native Texan and includes GEORGE W. BUSH as former client and friend.  Contrary to media hype, he does not believe the Republicans have permanently lost Hispanic voters. He believes the success that both GEORGE H.W. BUSH and George W. Bush had with Latino voters can be replicated. Both Bushes received over 40% of the Latino vote. Sosa believes Latinos at core are conservative.

A number of local politicians were in attendance, including CITY COUNCILMEN ED NEILSON and MARK SQUILLA, as well as 2015 candidate for City Council and Republican WARD LEADER MATT WOLFE. Mayoral candidate and former Philadelphia D.A. LYNNE ABRAHAM and Philadelphia Gas Works executive DOUG OLIVER was there. It is rumored that Oliver is considering a run for Mayor next year.

TERRY TRACY and ANDY TOY were also there and both are rumored to be considering throwing their hats in for City Council. Toy has run for Council before, but could not get out of the primaries as he is not a favorite of the Democratic establishment, owing to clean- and transparent-government stances, in my opinion.

The field for the mayoral race is thinning on the Democratic side. STATE REP. DWIGHT EVANS has decided not to run. He conducted a poll showing him finishing second behind Lynne Abraham. The other announced Democratic candidates included former Redevelopment Authority director TERRY GILLEN, former City Solicitor KEN TRUJILLO and STATE SEN. TONY WILLIAMS.  It had been rumored that CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL CLARKE had been considering running for Mayor. As he would have to resign from Council to run, he probably would want to be pretty sure he could win. His decision to pass on the sale of PGW to UIL Corp. without a hearing has not endeared him the business community, thus reducing the amount of money he could raise.

On the Republican side, the field is narrow. Businesswoman MELISSA BAILEY is thinking of running. Doug Oliver had considered running as a Republican but now is exploring a run as Democrat. Publicist DANA SPAIN, who had looked running for Mayor, decided not to pursue the position.

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