POLS ON THE STREET: Specter’s Campaign A Re-Run
US Sen. Arlen Specter may have his share of critics, but there is no taking away his ability to campaign … and to do so effectively. He comes in a close second to Gov. Ed Rendell, who is busy trying to get his last budget through the General Assembly.
Ignoring fretting over polling data which, for a while, painted him as a possible loser, Specter has worked the state better than any other of the statewide candidates running in the primary.
He’s been around the Horn often enough to know the vote-getters are and who controls blocks of them. His initial strategy, to garner as much of organized labor behind him as possible, has paid off with the latest endorsement from the Allegheny Co. Labor Council and the United Auto Workers. He already has the endorsement of this city’s major local unions.
He is expected to have the endorsement of the State AFL-CIO as well. He is also picking up in the polls, especially against Republican opponent Pat Toomey.
With that behind and ahead of him, the talk of his being a switcher to benefit himself has subsided and only appears in releases from the campaign headquarters of Congressman Joe Sestak, who is his foremost challenger.
Though Sestak wisely seeks the support of the liberal fringe groups of the Party, those groups may not be able to deliver the dollars and the Election Day workers that Labor can and will. Sestak’s latest endorsement came from the National Organization of Women.
A big plus for Sestak was the endorsement he received this week from the United Food & Commercial Workers International. Citing Joe’s tireless, unwavering advocacy on behalf of the working families of Pennsylvania, Wendell Young, President of UFCW Local 1776, and Kevin Kilroy, Local 23’s Director of Organizing, delivered the endorsement on behalf of their combined 37,000 members, and 1.3 million members nationwide, working in supermarkets, food processing, manufacturing and retail.
GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFULS ALL NEED TV EXPOSURE
In the race to become Pennsylvania’s Governor, a recent poll showed most voters simply don’t know for whom they will vote. That’s because the announced candidates are basically local politicians, even though some occupy statewide offices.
This was borne out by a recent Quinnipiac Poll, which found Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett was the only one of the six candidates who had any significant name recognition at all among 1,452 Pennsylvania voters polled.
He’s an easy pick over State Rep. Samuel Rohrer in the Republican primary if Sam stays in. Rohrer will need big TV bucks to catch up.
On the Democratic side, even greater anonymity prevailed. Allegheny Co. Executive Dan Onorato was first among the Democratic hopefuls. Almost 60% of those Democrats polled didn’t know any of the contenders, though Dan Onorato came in with 16% recognition, Auditor General Jack Wagner 11%, Joe Hoeffel 10%, and State Sen. Tony Williams 2%.
We need to remind them they will need advertising exposure in the Philadelphia Public Record if they wish the support of local committeepersons and ward leaders.
PITTSBURGH PROGRESSIVES ENDORSE HOEFFEL
Democratic candidate for Governor Joe Hoeffel now has three Democracy For America chapter endorsements. Last week he received the third, an endorsement from Democracy for Pittsburgh. Last month, Hoeffel received endorsements from Philly for Change and Montgomery Co. DFA, also local coalition partners of the Democracy for America, the nation’s largest progressive political-action community.
The endorsement bolsters Hoeffel’s credentials as the progressive candidate in the race for Governor. Dan Onorato and Jack Wagner — both Pittsburgh residents — also sought the group’s support, but failed to gain the combined votes they would need to prevent an endorsement from occurring. An endorsement from Democracy for Pittsburgh requires a candidate to earn 70% of the vote from voting members.
WAGNER VOWS A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
Auditor General Jack Wagner says, “a constitutional convention is a good idea.”
“I am fighting the status quo as a candidate for Governor,” said Wagner. “I want to change the status quo. After more than 40 years, it is time for another Constitutional Convention in order to directly involve the public in bringing fundamental reforms to State government.”
He has been endorsed by dozens of local Party leaders, the affiliated political-action committee of the Pennsylvania Business Council, and Henry Nicholas, president of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, and President of District 1199c of the national union.
In addition, Wagner was top vote-getter at the Democratic State Committee’s endorsement meeting, earning more than 50% of the vote and twice the total of the runner-up. He won a majority in 43 county caucuses.
Wagner is a decorated Vietnam War Marine combat veteran, former president of Pittsburgh City Council, and former State Senator from Allegheny Co.
REPUBLICANS FACE HUGE PRIMARY FIGHT FOR LT. GOV.
Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor and reform leader Russ Diamond has filed paper work with the Pennsylvania Dept. of State to secure ballot access for the May 18 primary election.
Candidates for Lieutenant Governor are required to obtain the signatures of 1,000 Pennsylvania voters registered with their respective political party, including 100 signatures from five different counties, to have their name appear on the ballot. Diamond filed 3,079 Republican signatures from across the Commonwealth, including at least 100 from 11 separate counties.
Eight other Republicans have entered this busy and boisterous race to hold the office that’s one heartbeat away from the Governor’s Mansion.
MARC COLLAZZO TARGETS BOYLE IN 170TH DIST.
Flushed with a unanimous endorsement from Republican ward leaders for the 170th hOUSe Dist., Marc D. Collazzo believes he will unseat incumbent Brendan Boyle.
He stated, “I am truly honored to receive the support and backing of this respected Caucus of hard-working, dedicated look forward to working with them, our committeepersons and our constituents, in the months and years ahead as I look to finally bring a financially responsible agenda of lowering taxes, establishing tax breaks and cuts for existing businesses, stemming the tide abuse of the attempts by Democratic officials to continue to hurt our neighborhoods by yet again increasing the sales tax, and decrease governmental spending.”
ANTHONY JOHNSON PLANS CHALLENGE TO CRUZ
Anthony P. Johnson of Juniata Park has announced his candidacy for the 180th House Dist. seat long held by State Rep. Angel Cruz.
Johnson is a human-services lead instructor in a post-secondary school and founder and director of Dream Field Academy providing mentoring and educational enhancement to at-risk youth in Juniata. As of now, Johnson is underfunded and without strong vote-getting in place for Election Day.
