Shapiro, Richards Endorsed for Montco Commissioner

I'll have more on this later but here's something from the inbox:

With a great display of unity, the Montgomery County Democratic Committee last night endorsed its slate of candidates, led by commissioner candidates Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards, for the 2011 county-wide elections.
Shapiro, a four-term state representative from Abington, and Richards, a Whitemarsh Township supervisor, were enthusiastically endorsed as the leaders of the Democratic ticket and they sent the Democratic committee members into the night with high hopes that 2011 would be the year that Democrats seized the majority in the courthouse for the first time in history.
Shapiro and Richards emerged as the commissioner candidates after incumbent Commissioner Joe Hoeffel decided not to seek re-election.
“We are united. We are excited. We have two great candidates, who have the issues on their side and have proven to be successful in reaching across party lines,” said Montgomery County Democratic Chairman Marcel Groen. “This is a ticket that Democrats, independents and a significant number of Republicans will embrace.”
The committee also endorsed incumbent row officers Clerk of Courts Ann Thornburg Weiss Upper Dublin; Controller Diane B. Morgan of Lower Gwynedd; Coroner Walter I. Hofman of Lower Merion; Prothonotary Mark Levy of Plymouth; and Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes of Cheltenham. Also endorsed were Recorder of Deeds candidate Linda Hee of Abington, Sheriff candidate William A. Holt, Jr. of Abington, and Treasurer candidate Jason Salus of Conshohocken.
Shapiro, 37, represents the 153rd Legislative District, and has worked in federal and state government for more than 15 years. He was named “Best State Legislator” by Philadelphia Magazine. Shapiro was first elected to the House in 2004 and reelected in 2006, 2008 and 2010, and served as deputy speaker of the House from 2006-2008.
Richards was elected in 2007 and has served as both Chair and Vice Chair of the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors. She is a Senior Project Manager at a woman-owned civil engineering firm that specializes in managing multi-million dollar infrastructure projects like bridge rehabilitations, road repairs, streetscape improvements, trail and park development, environmental assessments, and feasibility studies.