Jim Matthews Running for Lt. Gov?

Today's Inquirer has an interesting article on the chairman of Montgomery County's Board of Commissioners possible run for Lt. Governor. As you know, in PA candidates for gov. and lt. gov run independently, not as a team (something that may change). Jim Matthews is said to be announcing his campaign on Dec. 7th (or 8th? I don't have the paper in front of me).

I wonder at the thinking behind this. The paper said it was hoped he would bring in the SEPA area. I'm not sure that can be counted on. Matthews picked up some baggage when he allied himself with fellow commissioner candidate Tom Ellis last time around. Ellis won but given the pfa his significant other (and mother of his child) asked for and the subsequent press surrounding the situation, he's not exactly someone you would want to associate with politically. If Matthews is elected (a very long shot here) it would allow the county GOP to perhaps appoint someone to fill in the last year of his term. In a county where the GOP is seeing its voter registration advantage shrink, having an incumbent with less baggage going into the 2007 county election may be desirable.

Running Matthews and Ellis again as a team may mean Ellis drags both of them down. If Matthews is in higher office and Ellis doesn't run then it may be possible for two Dems to get into office and that would shake things up quite a bit. Having a fresh incumbent, even one with little seniority, would give the GOP a better foothold. Possibly Matthews didn't intend to run for commissioner again and this is just a diversion. He may think he actually has a shot. Just to make my preferences clear, at this point, not having done any real research on any of the candidates, my money would be on Pippy. I've heard and read only good things about him.

This is all conjecture, mind you. I can think of a couple of people the county GOP could put in that would do a wonderful job (I always liked Ellen Bard) and a few that would be just truly awful (I won't mention names).

I can't figure out why Matthews would run for statewide office at this point, unless it is just a pr move to improve his image. We will have to wait and see.