Thursday, January 07, 2010

Gerlach Out for Gov, Back in for 6th?

I didn't check email or twitter for a couple of hours today and all heck broke loose. Jim Gerlach, current 6th congressional district representative, has been running for governor. Today he bowed out, leaving Attorney General Tom Corbett the presumed frontrunner. Gerlach may decide to run for re-election as a Congressman.

More info:

"Gerlach Ends Gubernatorial Bid, May Run For Re-Election," by Shira Toeplitz, CQ Politics. Excerpt:

Gerlach said in a statement that he was dropping out of the statewide race because he could not raise enough money to fund his bid. But when pressed for an answer about whether the Congressman might run for his seat again, Gerlach spokesman Kori Walter said four-term member was not ready to announce what his future political plans are.


John Micek's Capitol Ideas. Excerpt:
Gerlach’s departure all but clears Attorney General Tom Corbett's path to the Republican endorsement, which is slated to take place on Feb. 13 in Harrisburg. State Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, is also seeking the party’s official blessing, but is considered a long shot to get it.


Comment from Democratic candidate Doug Pike:
"I got into this race 9 months ago to beat him because the working families of the 6th District deserve better. They deserve a Congressman who will fight for them, not just another Republican obstructionist who will stop at nothing to slow down, water down, or stop the change we voted for in 2008."

"I will use my voice and my vote to move our nation forward with sound ideas, not knee-jerk obstruction. Unlike Congressman Gerlach, I will fight for health care reform and job creation, and I will work to put an end to the Bush-Gerlach fiscal irresponsibility that got us into this mess in the first place."

"I got into this race to beat Congressman Gerlach and bring a new vision of leadership to the 6th District. Over the past 9 months, we have built a massive base of support that will carry us through to victory: we have the support of 14 labor unions, over 1300 contributions, and a warchest of over $1,100,000."

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