First Quarter FEC Report Round Up

1st Quarter FEC Reports

Okay, here we go again. First off, you can browse these reports yourself at www.fec.gov. As always I apologize in advance for any errors or misinterpretations. I am neither a lawyer nor an accountant, just an interested observer and these thoughts should be taken as such.

This quarter covers January – March, 2010.

Most candidates leave their reports in alphabetical order. That makes it easy to see who donated what when. Some arrange their reports chronologically so you can see the pattern of donations. Others scramble their reports so the names are not in alphabetical order or the donations on chronological order and that makes it darn difficult to keep track of them. Transparency, folks, a little more transparency please. Yes, this thwarts your opponent but it thwarts your constituents too.

If there are two numbers one is for the quarter, the other for the election cycle to date.

Watch the itemized (over $250 donations), unitemized (smaller donations), and PAC ratios. Generally, you will find unitemized to be about 10% the amount of itemized and PAC’s either a half or quarter the amount of the itemized donations., at least for incumbents. In open races or in challenger’s reports, there are usually fewer PAC donations. They like to stick with people they are fairly certain are going to win.

At this point in the election cycle it is easy to see who has donated the maximum amount possible. People can donate $2400 per “election,” which means $2400 for the primary and another $2400 for the general. Someone who donated $4800 cannot give that candidate any more money until after the November election. You can’t donate retroactively so if someone doesn’t start donating until after the primary they can only donate $2400. Everyone have that? No? I don’t blame you – it’s a little complicated, but we’ll do our best to keep it all straight.

6th Congressional District

This once open race is now more complicated. Current Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach has ended his campaign for governor and decided to run for re-election. Four other Republicans filed FEC reports this quarter and while I know that some of them have withdrawn from the race, I’m not sure of the status of all of them. Thus, their basic financial information is provided, though as a group instead of individual entries. The two Democrats in the race, Doug Pike and Manan Trivedi will have to duke it out in the primary election.

Doug Pike, Democrat
Receipts:
Itemized: 95,508.00
Unitemized 12,547.00
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 108,055.00 / 475,901.07
PACS 14,500.00 / 42,500
The Candidate 100,457.29 / 1,062,705.47
Total Contributions 223,017.83 / 1,581,112.08
Other Receipts 2047.77 / 4257.89
Total Receipts 225,065.60 / 1,585,369.97
Disbursements.
Operating Expenditures 153,046.67 / 405,868.21
Refunds: 6,375.00 / 6,375.00
Total Disbursements 159,421.67 / 412,243.21
Cash Summary.
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 1,107,482.82
Total Receipts 225,065.60
Total Disbursements 59,421.67
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 1,173,126.76

Quite a few of Pike’s donors are from out of state; my rough count is over a third and less than half, somewhere in that region. Six people have given him $4800 which means they cannot donate again at all. Another nine have donated over 2400, the maximum allowable in the primary. So if Pike does not win the primary he has to at least offer this money back to the donor. I didn’t recognize any big names. In with the usual doctors, lawyers, executives, he has a cluster of donors from the educational / non-profit world, and another cluster in writing and editorial work. One odd note, he received $5.54 as an in-kind donation from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for fundraising services. I think that must be a typo. His PAC donations are primarily union; the exception is a $1000 donation from State Rep. Dwight Evans campaign. Note that Pike has given the campaign another $100,000, bringing his personal donations to just over a million dollars. In disbursements, he paid seven people some salary and an additional two received a stipend. I’m not sure what the difference would be but there must be one. He paid health insurance. In with usual campaign costs I see $25K for research. In the last report he paid nearly $4,000 for research. That’s a lot of research.


Manan Trivedi, Democrat

Receipts
Itemized 125,075.55
Unitemized 31,531.79
Total of Contributions from Individuals 156,607.34 / 360,338.19
PACs 13,350.00 / 24,450.00
The Candidate: 1024.17 / 16,432.33
Total Contributions: 170,981.51 / 401,220.52
Total Receipts: 170,981.51 /401,220.52
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures: 98,249.27 / 217,777.72
Other Disbursements:
Total Disbursements: 98,249.27 / 217,777.72
Cash Summary.
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 123,381.63
Total Receipts 170,981.51
Total Disbursements 98,249.27
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 196.113.87

Trivedi has really broadened his base. While you still see more Ravis and Sanjays in his list of donors than in most finance reports they are outnumbered by the more mainstream names. Of the direct donors less than a fourth are from out of state. Trivedi makes significant use of Act Blue, an online site that allows people to donate to Democratic candidates across the country. Some appear to make use of the feature that allows them to make regular donations; there are monthly donations for the same amount. Many are repeat donors without using that feature (differing donations from the same person). Roughly a third of his Act Blue donations were from out of state. Let’s say of the total a third came from out of state. Only one person has completely topped out at $4800 but nine have given $2400 and an additional four have donated over $2400. Trivedi’s donors are more varied occupationally. As a doctor he does, as one might expect, pull in a lot of money from fellow doctors and other health care researchers, etc. There are also the standard lawyers and executives. However he also has a tax coach, architect, accountant, ESL teacher, SAT tutor, farmer, and poet. A varied group. I see a few former political candidates but no big political names. His PAC donations seem evenly split between political campaign funds, unions, and issue related funds. In disbursements, Trivedi’s campaign had six people on the payroll at various times. He pays health insurance. The campaign paid $17K to a polling firm, hired a consultant and an email management firm.


Other Republicans Candidates

I’m not exactly certain of the status of Curt Schroder’s campaign but he brought in only $413.64 this quarter and spent $15,689.83, leaving him with $112,596.33 on hand. Steve Welch has a totalof $30,237.87 left in his campaign fund, after repaying himself the half a million he had loaned to the campaign earlier. Brian Gordon raised a total of $27,609 from individuals and $50.00 from political committees. He spent $35,310.60, leaving him with $27,373.40 on hand. Walt Hufford raised $3450.00, spent $12,173.35, and has $7,911.06 on hand. I could not find a report for Patrick Sellers. He might have filed a paper report instead of electronic; I didn’t check. Apologies but I’m not paging through a pdf of a campaign finance report. The electronic are mind-boggling enough.

Jim Gerlach, incumbent Republican

Receipts
Contributions
Itemized 203,927.99
Unitemized 21,756.50
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 225,684.49 / 396,961.38
Other Political Committees (such as PACS) 289,133.50 / 471,808.50
Total Receipts 515,150.43 / 890,645.26
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 171,517.75 / 599,347.13
Refunds, other disbursements: 12,750.00 / 172,625.00
Total Disbursements 184,267.75 / 771,972.13
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 5,298.03
Total Receipts This Period 515,150.43
Total Disbursements This Period 184,267.75
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 336,180.71

In this quarter and for the election cycle overall, PAC donations are greater than individual donations. That may be a reason for concern. There are a number of donations from the employees of Bentley Systems. You also see varying occupations that normally mean lobbyist, including lobbyist. Very few of Gerlach’s donations are from out of state. His reports are arranged chronologically not alphabetically by name of donor so they are a little tricky to work with. A wide variety of occupations are represented. He did have over 30 donations of $2400 or more, with 11 of $4800. There are also several instances of donations either been given twice or recorded twice because people are listed as having given $9600 and then there is a note about a refund. I don’t know which is worse, listing a donation twice or the possibility that people will not have realized they already gave nearly $5000 and so they give it again. I myself have never lost track of that much money. His campaign must have been burning up the phones because he has a lot of PAC money. There are over 100 occupational or corporate PACs such as Bank of America PAC, American Bankers PAC, New York Life, and so on. There are a lot of doctor’s and medical organizations listed. There are about 20 political PACs such as Cohen for Congress in state and Eric PAC (I think is Eric Cantor’s leadership PAC) from out of state. Among the few cause oriented funds are the Turkish Coalition USA organization. In disbursements, there are two salaried employees, one of which was reimbursed for health insurance, several campaign functions were done by corporations. Over $30K was paid to a corporate name for finance director and another was paid for campaign work, including $18K for media work. He paid $23K for polling. A fundraising consulting received commissions on her work. Another fundraising firm was hired as well.

7th Congressional District

Bryan Lentz, Democrat

Receipts
Contributions
Itemized 135,618.00
Unitemized 27,301.08
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 162,919.08 / 530,048.08
Other Political Committees (such as PACS) 73,500.00 / 221,600.00
Total Receipts 236,419.08 / 751,648.08
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 88,689.94 / 144,277.21
Total Disbursements 88,689.94 / 144,277.21
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 459,691.73
Total Receipts This Period 236,419.08
Total Disbursements This Period 88,689.94
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 607,420.87

Only about 20 of Lentz’s nearly 370 donors are from out of state. In this reporting period, five donors reached the $2400 level, an additional 10 donated more than $2400, and five above that donated $4800 and thus cannot donate to his campaign again before election day in November. As far as my estimation goes, he only received $3,100 via ActBlue. There are a lot of lawyers in his donor group, but also a cluster of educators, plus a steamfitter and a painter. I counted three elected officials or candidates donating their own money. One other person of note – the COO of the Kimmel Center. Of the PACs the majority, 19 were political in nature. Most of the campaign committees donating were local, Mike Gerber, Josh Shapiro, Dave Frankel. Lentz is personable and appears to have made a lot of friends. He received donations from eight union organizations, seven industry groups, and four cause-related groups (or were groups I couldn’t fit into the other categories. A number of the PAC donations were funneled through the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as memo-ed items. Allyson Schwartz’s leadership PAC donated. In disbursements, there are a total of six employees, though some were probably part-time or short-term employees. He paid for insurance, though I am not sure what kind. He paid $10K for his website and $15K for a legal retainer.

Pat Meehan, Republican

Receipts
Contributions
Itemized 183,300.20
Unitemized 19,387.41
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 202,687.61 / 910,627.50
Political Party Committees 1,000.00 / 1,000.00
Other Political Committees (such as PACS) 139,050.00 / 222,500.00
Total Receipts 342,737.61 / 1,124,127.50
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 161,308.80 / 255,091.55
Refunds: 600.00 / 4000.00
Total Disbursements 161,908.80 / 259,091.55
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 694,207.14
Total Receipts This Period 342,737.61
Total Disbursements This Period 161,908.80
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 875,035.95

Of his roughly 280 itemized donors, 17 were from out of state. A total of five reached the $2400 mark this quarter, an additional 12 donated more than that, and five more reached the $4800 mark. He has a lot of lobbyists among his itemized individual donors, a lot of lawyers, and a priest. There are a lot of PAC donations. I counted 29 politically oriented committees, including those of Mike Huckabee and Eric Cantor, plus a number of PACs with the word conservative in their name. He had 20 corporate PAC donations including Blue Cross and Highmark insurance companies. WaWa and McDonalds also like Meehan. There are 15 industry related PACs, a notable number are medical in nature. There are 16 issue related or otherwise uncategorized PACs. You can draw your own conclusions from all that. Among distributions he has two paid employees but like Gerlach pays retainers to groups that probably provide political services. He bought a digital camcorder. He paid for website hosting retainer, and an additional $20K for database management consulting.

8th Congressional District

Patrick Murphy, Incumbent Democrat (elected 2006)

Receipts
Contributions
Individual Itemized 383,708.00
Individual Unitemized 33,265.99
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 416,973.99 / 1,465,308.50
Political Party Committees 0.00 / 1,060.00
PACS 165,400.00 / 579,825.00
Total Contributions 582,373.99 / 2,046,193.50
Transfers from Other Authorized Committees 0.00 / 5,000.00
Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, Rebates, etc) 3,954.18 / 23,018.63
Other Receipts 2,194.31 / 5,583.07
Total Receipts 588,522.48 / 2.07,795.20
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 116,535.15 / 1,059,583.20
Total Refunds 0.00 / 1821.20
Other Disbursements 0.00 / 45,502.36
Total Disbursements 116,535.15 / 1,106,906.76
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 847,753.64
Total Receipts This Period 588,522.48
Total Disbursements This Period 116,635.15
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 1,319,740.97

Of the 563 itemized donations I counted 196 as being from out of state. Fifteen donors gave $2400, the maximum allowed for the primary, 30 gave over $2400, and 27 more donated $4800 which means they cannot donate to his campaign again before the November election. Murphy’s donors include the standard doctors, lawyers, and Indian chiefs, including executives at both Urban Outfitters and J. Crew, which might get him some traction with the hipster crowd. There is a cluster of donations from employees of L-3, a cluster of higher education people (both administrators and professors), and a cluster of artsy types, artists, playwrights, agents, some with recognizable names. His PAC donations are a mix. There are about 40 corporate PACs, 12 union PACS, 10 political groups, 11 industry PACs, and 12 cause or unknown PACs. It is a diverse group. Murphy has the support of boilermakers, blacksmiths, and plumbers, and the Communication Workers union as well as Comcast. His disbursements are unremarkable. There are six paid employees at various times over the quarter; he pays for health insurance. He paid his fundraising consultant $13K. The campaign’s printer is local, in Levittown.

Mike Fitzpatrick, Republican

Receipts
Contributions
Individual Itemized 414,550.62
Individual Unitemized 35,883.00
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 450,433.62
Other Political Committees (such as PACS) 59,360.00
Total Contributions 509,793.62
Other Receipts 22.73 / 22.73
Total Receipts 509,816.35
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 37,244.22
Refunds to Individuals/Persons 200.00
Total Contribution Refunds 200.00
Total Disbursements 37,444.22
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 0.00
Total Receipts This Period 509,816.35
Total Disbursements This Period 37,444.22
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 472,372.13

This report is arranged chronologically instead of alphabetically which makes it more difficult to work with. I counted 35 out of state donors from the 502 itemized individuals. There were 24 donations of $2400, 12 of more than $2400, and 26 gave the full $4800 allowed for the entire election cycle. There were quite a few executive positions listed as occupation. Among employment clusters I saw Crown Holdings / Crown Cork & Seal, Bucks County, and the building trades. He also had a geologist listed, which seemed unusual. Most of the PAC money came in through political campaign committees and most of those were local. He received money from several issue PACs, though some might be congressional leadership PACs, it is sometimes hard to tell from the names. There were only four identifiable corporate PACs. In disbursements, one employee is listed. Campaign Financial Services received nearly $8K. He used a Massachusetts printing firm and paid them $9K. Mr. Fitzpatrick has $21,748.89 in debt, a third of it to a country club for catering; this is likely a matter of a bill being held or having come in late and not paid before the report was due. There is another bill for catering. He also owes for telephone service and website development.

Other Republicans

I found reports for two other Republicans; there are or were others in the running but they might be filing their reports on paper instead of electronically. Apologies, dear readers, but I’m not sorting through the pdfs of reports unless someone appears to be a viable candidate. Of the electronic reports, Judith Algeo appears to be shutting down. She did not raise any money this quarter, spent a little over $5,000 had had $48.06 on hand at the end of March. Gail Carlineo fared a little better. She raised $29,978.51 and loaned herself $80,100, for a total of $110,078.51. She spent $16,676.38, and had $93,402.13 on hand at the end of the quarter.


13th Congressional District

Allyson Schwartz, Incumbent District (elected 2004)

Receipts
Contributions
Individual Itemized 225,281.84
Individual Unitemized 11,566.00
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 236,847.84 / 1,132,865.92
Political Party Committees 26.37 / 119.65
Other Political Committees (such as PACS) 120,100.00 / 652,152.68
Total Contributions 359,974.21 / 1,785,138.25
Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, Rebates, etc) 138.60 / 8,530.41
Other Receipts 7,283.20 / 44,141.31
Total Receipts 364,396.01 / 1,837,809.97
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 151,736.32 / 562,873.09
Refunds to Individuals/Persons 1,000.00 / 2,175.00
Other Political Committees (such as PACs) 0.00 / 1,000.00
Total Contribution Refunds 1,000.00 / 3,175.00
Other Disbursements 950.00 / 240,070.00
Total Disbursements 153,86.32 / 806,118.90
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 2,840,475.29
Total Receipts This Period 364,396.01
Total Disbursements This Period 153,686.32 / 806,118.09
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 3,051,184.98

Around a quarter of Schwartz’s donors are from out of state. I counted three donations of $2400, 31 of more than $2400, and 15 additional donors reached the $4800 maximum amount for the election cycle. Occupationally I saw a cluster of health related professions, not just doctors but also heath care administrators, child psychologists, pharmacist, physical therapist, etc. Of course, there are lawyers (including one at NBC Universal), and executives (such as the one at a bicycle company), but there is also a teacher, a social worker, and a minister. The president of the Phillies is also a donor. Her PAC donations are somewhat unusual for a Democrat. There are only five unions represented and no discernible political committees. I counted 34 PACs connected with corporations, and 27 related to industries or occupational groups, many of these are medical in nature. There were seven cause or otherwise unidentifiable PACs. I may have miscategorized some of these – some of the PAC names are not very helpful. Her disbursements are unremarkable. There are two paid staffers and she pays for health insurance. The campaign uses a local printer. There are payments for software, website maintenance, polling ($27K), and so on.

Republican challengers

I found electronic reports for two candidates, though there may be others. Damian Dachowski has, I believe, ended his campaign. In this quarter he raised $1,209, spent $10,320.22, and had $13,569.55 on hand at the end of the quarter. Dee Adcock appears to be the favored candidate. He raised $43,006.00, loaned himself $70,000, spent $72,413.24, and had $44,956.45 at the end of the quarter.

Interview with Doug Pike, Democratic Candidate for the 6th Congresstional District

Doug Pike is one of two Democratic candidates for the 6th congressional district. Incumbent Republican Jim Gerlach decided to run for governor, thus making the 6th an open seat. Gerlach later changed his mind and is now running for re-election.

Pike was on the editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer for many years, and worked as a journalist for most of his life. He also served on the board of a hospital in New York. I've had the opportunity to say "hello" to Mr. Pike a couple of times but no extended conversations and so cannot offer any personal observations. His answers, though, are intriguing. I especially liked his response to the question on manufacturing in the 6th district.

A few months ago I posted an interview with the other Democrat running for the 6th district. This is the first time I've interviewed two people campaigning for the same office. In the interest of fairness I've asked Mr. Pike some of the same questions about the district that I asked the other candidate.

A significant amount of the money you had raised by the end of Sept. was self-financing. How much of your own money are you willing to spend on the campaign?



We recently reported over $1.1 million cash-on-hand, which represents over 1400 contributions as well as the grassroots support of many hard working Democratic families here in Pennsylvania. I am willing to invest at least $1 million of my life savings because we need to turn this seat blue.

This is shaping up to be a tough election year and Jim Gerlach is a career politician who will be difficult to beat. Our party needs a nominee with the resources to be competitive with Jim Gerlach; otherwise, Gerlach will continue going down to Washington to vote against our Democratic values. The truth is that even leaving aside self-contributions, I’ve raised more money from other people than any other Democratic candidate in the race. We need a candidate who not only supports our Democratic values, but who has a strong enough campaign to beat Jim Gerlach and bring those values to Washington.

Several of the editorials published under your name in Inquirer indicate a fiscal conservatism. Is my impression of this accurate? If elected would you ally yourself with the Blue Dog Coalition?

I would say that I am a progressive deficit hawk – not a Blue Dog. As an opinion writer I attacked the wasteful and misguided priorities of the Republicans in Congress like Gerlach who endorsed the borrow-and-spend policies of Republican President George W. Bush and Halliburton’s contribution to the team: Vice President Dick Cheney. Here is an excerpt of an 2006 Inquirer column of mine:

“George W. Bush couldn't have made such a mess of things for the last six years without reliable support from Republicans in Congress. He and GOP lawmakers were strongly united on invading Iraq, tilting tax relief toward the wealthy, exploding the national debt, letting the minimum wage wilt to inflation, and much more.”

A strong public option will keep health care costs down. While many Blue Dogs supported the Stupak Amendment, I spoke out against its untenable restrictions on a woman’s right to get health care – and that’s what choice is all about: the right of woman to make decisions about and have access to health care. I spoke out at the time and will continue to stand up for women’s rights.

Tell us what role you played as a board member for the South Oaks Hospital on Long Island and what effect that might have on your health care views.

As a board member for a total of 15 years I have first-hand experience in dealing with the problems plaguing our health care system, such as insurance companies whose main goal was profit maximization, not patient care. The board of directors helped our dedicated doctors and nurses deliver quality care despite the intrusiveness of health insurance companies. As our former Senator Harris Wofford said in 1991: If criminals have the right to a lawyer, every American should have the right to a doctor.

When my brother Rob developed cancer five years ago, problems with our health care system hit home. Although he’s been fighting ever since and it has been an ordeal for his wife, their kids, and our entire family, my brother has been relatively lucky: He has health insurance – unlike millions of Americans. We should all have access to affordable, quality health care. In Washington, I’ll fight for that, no matter how much resistance is put up by the Republicans and the special interests.

While you were on the board was South Oaks a full service hospital, with an ER and staff physicians or was it geared more towards specific health services?

This well-respected hospital specializes in treating patients for mental illness, substance abuse and eating disorders.

Journalist and hospital board member seems an odd combination. What qualified you for the hospital board work?

Most strong corporate and community boards benefit from having people with various backgrounds as active participants. My journalistic experience at asking tough questions helped me to guide the institution to safeguard patient care quality at a time of financial pressures.

The biography on your website lists types of work and years in that field but can you tell us where you lived and worked when?

I came to Pennsylvania almost 23 years ago for my dream job on the Editorial Board at the Inquirer. So I have lived here for most of my adult life. I spent 5 years in Florida at the Orlando Sentinel and 5 years in DC doing freelance writing and working for U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas. Pennsylvania is my home and I am not leaving.

Tell us some of items that would be in your ideal health care bill.

Fixing our broken health care system should be one of the top priorities of Congress. If I am elected, I can guarantee that it will be one of my top priorities.

For real reform, we need to see several changes. First, we absolutely need a strong public option. This is the only way to create real competition and to bring down the skyrocketing costs of health insurance. Second, we need to bar private insurers from disqualifying people from coverage based on pre-existing conditions. This practice has gone on far too long, and it has cost the lives of men, women and children. Third, we need to transition over to electronic health records. Studies have shown that a fully-electronic health record system will both lower the cost of medical care and increase the safety of care though automatic warnings that are triggered if, for instance, a doctor accidentally prescribed a drug that the patient was allergic to. Finally, to make it a truly ideal bill, we need to take a holistic look at our overall health care delivery system. We need to focus on the areas where our system is weak. This would include transitioning from a system where we manage disease to a system where we manage a person's health. This focus on improving and maintaining the health of all Americans will not only reduce the burden on our health care system and save money, but it would also allow the next generation to live happier, healthier, and longer lives. To do this, we need to put a much stronger emphasis on preventative medicine, routine checkups, and the efficient and routine delivery of health care services to all Americans. When your doctor says you need a checkup, we want you to get a checkup! In fact, getting that checkup is the patriotic thing to do – good for you, good for your country!

There is a school of thought that the government should bail out or support newspapers in some way. What is your opinion on that?


Let’s be realistic, the era of hard-copy home-delivery newspaper dominance is over. In this digital/internet age, as you well know, information delivery systems are changing rapidly: from cable news and e-mails, to texts, to tweets. Newspaper “presses” are going to end up in museums everywhere so that those who hope for some sort of bailout for the newspaper business wait in vain. In the years ahead the newsgathering and distribution business may be supported through nonprofit enterprises in the same way that National Public Radio has survived. Preserving an informed citizenry is critical for a democratic society. Preserving access to information and facilitating free speech are constitutional imperatives; however, saving profit-making enterprises that have not been able to adapt is not the role of government.

On your website you talk about closing tax loopholes. What are two tax reforms you would champion if elected?

1. Eliminate the tax incentive for companies to shift jobs overseas.

2. Restore a federal tax on the estates of the wealthiest 1% of all Americans. Eliminating this progressive tax for 2010 only was a gimmick that we cannot afford.

How do you balance a need for new energy sources against, say, local residents who don’t want windmills blocking their view?

I understand the importance of aesthetic values and the feelings of those who fear that windmills will block views, kill birds, and diminish property values. Not everyone loves the look of solar collectors on rooftops nor do they want to cut down their trees to expose roof-tops to the sun.

However, we do need to encourage the development and use of renewable energy sources while recognizing that for any number of reasons not every location is appropriate of the production of wind or solar or geo-thermal energy.

I support research and development of storage and transfer systems for renewable energy sources. As you know, most industrial wind turbines don’t even begin producing energy until the wind blows fairly fast, so that windmills should to be built in areas that average at least 10 mph much of the time in order to effectively and reliably produce energy. There are not many places in Southeastern Pennsylvania that are that windy every day just as major solar installations are probably most suitable for development in the southwestern part of the United States where there are more sunny days, fewer leafy trees, and less snow to move off of roof-tops so that the solar collectors can work year round. We need an alternative energy and clean jobs revolution, but for now, our neck of the woods is best suited for the intellectual effort: laboratory-based research, design, and development for the multiple aspects associated with the transition from the fossil fuels to new energy sources.

In the meantime, each and every one of us can work on recycling and energy efficiency in our homes and when using our cars. Support for quality education and research is critical in this regard. The key is encouraging kids to think out of the box, to study math and science, and to become responsible adults who understand how to conserve and save finite resources while using renewable resources efficiently.

Manufacturing is the 6th largest industry in the district; with your emphasis on new technologies and green jobs, do you see this industrial base as growing or shrinking?

Our manufacturing base can and should be growing! We have tremendous intellectual talent in the 6th District at our fantastic local colleges and universities. We need to encourage this extraordinary talent pool to innovate. New technology and green jobs can to be developed and products produced right here in existing facilities in our own back yard.

Moreover, we have enough retired executive talent available in this District to help start-ups get going. These individuals can bring a world of expertise to young entrepreneurs. We can build a senior service corps to help with mentoring, business development, and problem solving. There is no reason we can’t make this region a green technology and manufacturing center.

The 6th district is oddly shaped and often mentioned as one that might be re-made or disappear entirely in the redistricting after the 2010 census. Are you concerned about running for a seat that might not be there in 2012?

I’m running because we cannot afford even one more term with Congressman Gerlach in office – the hard-working people of the 6th District deserve better. I would not be investing my time and energy in this race if I did not believe that it is important for all Americans to help me get Jim Gerlach out of our Congressional seat.

I will be very different from Gerlach. Here are 3 examples:

1. I’ll never vote for a pay raise. I’ll never accept a pay raise.

2. I won’t take government health care coverage until Congress has made quality, affordable health care available to every American. How can Gerlach take generous taxpayer-paid health care insurance while obstructing quality, affordable health care coverage for all Americans?

3. Instead of having a press secretary to polish my image the way Gerlach does, I’ll hire a 6th District Economic Development Specialist who will work directly with local businesses and organizations to build our economy right here at home.

Tourism is a small industry in the 6th district. Would you like to see this grow and if so how would you encourage tourism in the area?

We can better promote our historic sites, charming communities, and great restaurants. Our outstanding colleges and universities are great venues for educational tourism by life long learners. We can promote opportunities to welcome visitors of all ages from all over the world who want to see America as it really is: charming, caring communities of concerned citizens. Regional rail can bring people to our shopping centers and antique stores. I see new opportunities for tourism as our population grows older and wants to visit Valley Forge, Philadelphia, and other locales where the American dream took root.

Having been a journalist in Philadelphia for so many years you must know a few good stories about local politicos. Any chance you would share a juicy tidbit or two?

Let’s get together sometime and we’ll swap some stories, reporter to reporter.

What question didn’t I ask that you would like to answer?

The question of the day is, "Why are you the best candidate to face Jim Gerlach in the general election?" It's a question that I hear every day from voters and one that deserves a clear, straightforward answer. Without question, Jim Gerlach has been a disaster for this district. For 7 years he has sat on the House Financial Services Committee and stood silently by as the special interests and the Republican Party drove our economy into the ditch. All the while he was collecting over $1.6 million dollars from the special interests in finance, real estate and insurance. He is a poster child for what is wrong in D.C. I will be a different kind of Congressman. I have spent my career fighting against excess and waste in Washington – and insider deals that always leave the middle class out. I'm not seeking election because of the glory or perks. I'm running because I want to fight for the people of the 6th District.

But let’s face it, Jim Gerlach is a tough guy to beat. In order to do it, I'll need to create clear contrasts between my record and Jim Gerlach's record. I'm ready to do that. I have a team in place, working full time, ready to execute our campaign plan. And most importantly, in this day and age, it costs millions of dollars to run an effective campaign. I've got a warchest of over $1.1 million, the backing of 15 labor unions, and the grassroots financial support of over 1400 individual contributions.

We are organized, we are well-funded, and we are ready to hold Jim Gerlach accountable for his disastrous tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives.

My thanks for Doug Pike for taking the time to answer questions.

Just as an aside, let me note for my reporter friends, that I have a very health respect for what they do, and I consider myself a blogger, not a reporter. However, I am very flattered that Mr. Pike would put me in that category.

4th Quarter 2009 FEC Report Round Up

Okay, here we go again. First off, you can browse these reports yourself at www.fec.gov. As always I apologize in advance for any errors or misinterpretations. I am neither a lawyer nor an accountant, just an interested observer and these thoughts should be taken as such.

This quarter covers Oct – Dec., 2009.

All of the candidates with lengthy reports arranged them in alphabetical order, which makes them much easier to review. Many thanks. At this point in the campaign individual donors can give up to $2400 for the primary election or up to $4800 for the primary and general elections. Once someone reaches $4800 they cannot donate any more money to that candidate.

If there are two numbers one is for the quarter, the other for the election cycle to date.

Watch the itemized (over $250 donations), unitemized (smaller donations), and PAC vs individual ratios. Generally, you will find unitemized to be about 10% the amount of itemized and PAC’s either a half or quarter of that, at least for incumbents. In open races or in challenger’s reports, there are usually fewer PAC donations. They like to stick with people they are fairly certain are going to win.

6th Congressional District

This once open race is now more complicated. Current Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach has ended his campaign for governor and decided to run for re-election. What this means as far as back from the party establishment is open to interpretation. Now there are two Democrats and three Republicans including Gerlach in the running. The party had seemed to be lining up behind Schroder but Gerlach’s former chief of staff is working for Welch.

Doug Pike, Democrat
Receipts:
Itemized 90,905.00
Unitemized 13,410.44
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 104,315.44/ 367,846.07
PACS 11,500.00 / 28,000.00
The Candidate 340,469.05 / 962,248.18
Total Contributions 456,284.49 / 1,358,094.25
Other Receipts 1,091.08 / 2,210.12
Total Receipts 457,376.38 / 1,360,304.37
Disbursements.
Operating Expenditures 95,575.17 / 25,821.54
Total Disbursements 95,575.17 / 25,821.54
Cash Summary.
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 745,681.62
Total Receipts 457,376.38
Total Disbursements 95,575.17
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 1,107,482.82

One important thing to note is that of the total 1,35 million Pike has raised, nearly 1 million of it has come from his own pocket. He has raised just under $400,000 from other sources. Of the individuals contributing about half are from out of state. About 7 donors donated $2400, and an additional 6 donated $4,800 that means they cannot donate any more this election. Most contributors are the standard doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs. There was a cluster of those in the writing trade, writers, editors, agents, and an out of state newspaper gossip columnist, plus a retired librarian and a photographer. The CEO of Pepsi and an executive at Hill & Knowlton are also in the mix. Politically I saw former congressman Pete Kostmayor and Philadelphian Happy Fernandez. Only 8 PACs donated, including Patrick Murphy’s leadership PAC. In disbursements, he had 7 paid staffers (this includes part-time and people who work only briefly); he paid health insurance. Campaign costs include 3,800 for research service, and a whopping $15K for media consulting.

Manan Trivedi, Democrat

Receipts
Itemized 77,356.00
Unitemized 15,281.99
Total of Contributions from Individuals 92,637.99 / 203,730.85
PACs 8,100.00 / 11,100.00
The Candidate: 2,205.88 / 15,408.16
Total Contributions: 102,943.87 / 230,239.01
Total Receipts: 102,943.87 / 230,239.01
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures: 101,320.40 / 119, 493.45
Other Disbursements: 185.00 / 985.00
Total Disbursements: 101,505.40 / 120,478.45
Cash Summary.
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 121,943.16
Total Receipts 102,943.87
Total Disbursements 101,505.40
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 123,381.63

As with his previous report, there are a lot of ActBlue donations, including some small ones, that alternate with the group ActBlue note on the report which makes it difficult to track. However, I would guess that perhaps a third of Trivedi’s donations are from out of state. About 8 have donated $2400 which means they cannot donate any more for the primary election; another 6 have donated $4800 which means they cannot donate any more for the primary and general combined. As Dr. Trivedi is a physician it is not surprising to see that a number of doctors have donated to his campaign. There are also a number of donors with Indian looking names. No celebrities of note but he received donations from a wide range of occupations, from the CEO of the zoo to a Bank of America receptionist. Local politicos Connie Williams and Bob Roggio also donated to his campaign. He received money from 6 PACs. Trivedi’s personal contributions are just over $15,000. On the disbursement side, there were 6 paid staffers, most short-term. He paid $3k for general campaign consulting, $12K to another firm that seems to specialize in new media, and around $15K for campaign research.


Curt Schroder, Republican

Receipts
Itemized 52,642.04
Unitemized 13,521.00
Total of Contributions from Individuals 66,163.04 / 160,079.90
Political Party Committees 150.00 / 550.00
PACs 11,975.00 / 26,174.99
Total Contributions: 78,288.04 / 186,804.89
Other Receipts: 226.06 / 309.92
Total Receipts: 78,514.10 / 187,114.81
Disbursements:
Operating Expenditures: 34,640.57 / 56,442.29
Refunds: 300.00 / 300.00
Total Disbursements: 37,440.57 / 59,242.29
Cash Summary.
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 86,798.99
Total Receipts 78,514.10
Total Disbursements 37,440.57
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 127,872.52

Only a negligible number of Schroder’s donors (less than 5) are from out of state. Only one donated $2400, another $4800. There are a number of physicians among his donors, along with a range of other occupations. Nothing noteworthy in the PAC donations. Schroder seems to have outsourced all campaign expenses to Hallowell & Branstetter, paying them over $20K with no other staff or campaign management costs listed. It will be interesting to see what happens now the Gerlach is back in the race.

Steve Welch, Republican

Receipts
Itemized 90,012.73
Unitemized 462.93
Total of Contributions from Individuals 90,475.66 / 104,705.66
PACs: 2500.00 / 2500.00
The Candidate: 150,000.000 / 158,913.32
Total Contributions: 242,975.66 / 302,118.98
Loans Made or Guaranteed from Candidate: 0.00 / 500,000
Total Receipts: 242,975.66 / 802,118.98
Disbursements:
Operating Expenditures: 101,272.55 / 149,151.53
Total Disbursements: 101,272.55 / 149,151.53
Cash Summary.
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 511.264.34
Total Receipts 242,975.66
Total Disbursements 101,272.55
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 652,967.45

Welch has really gotten his act together. Of the approximately 178 donors, 68 are from out of state. A total of 10 people donated $2400, and 2 gave $4800. A preponderance of donors are businesspeople, as one might expect. Mr. Welch’s reports list donations under $250, which is not required, and employers / occupations are not listed for them. Three PACs made donations. He had about 4 people working on his website, and paid for Facebook ads. Two employees (or consulting firms) are paid well. Two or three other employees. He buys the Wall Street Journal for his campaign office.

Jim Gerlach, incumbent Republican

This is an unusual report as Gerlach was running for governor for most of the quarter. He started with $34,463.44, raised $1678.74, spent $30,844.15, which leaves him with $5,298 on hand. Since his gubernatorial campaign did not end with a significant surplus, Gerlach has a lot of catching up to do.

Howard Cohen, Republican

Cohen raised 89,363.00, quite a bit from out of state, with 14 donations of $2400, and a $9K loan from the candidate. With disbursements of a little over $15K, he has $83,342 cash on hand.

Walt Hufford, Republican

Hufford raised a little over $10K, spent $4815, with a debt of almost $25K, has $30,584 on hand.

7th Congressional District

Bryan Lentz, Democrat

Receipts
Contributions
Itemized 156,474.00
Unitemized 23,385.00
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 179,859.00 / 367,129.00
Other Political Committees (such as PACS) 115,000.00 / 148,100.00
Total Receipts 294,859.00 / 515,229.00
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 53,213,21 / 55,587.27
Total Disbursements 53,213,21 / 55,587.27
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 218,045.94
Total Receipts This Period 294,859.00
Total Disbursements This Period 53,213,21 / 55,587.27
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 459,691.73

In with the standard array of professional occupations, including a lot of lawyers, I saw a nurse practitioner, a teacher, a handful of people in film (no celebrities), and another handful of people affiliated with green companies or environmentalism. (Lentz held a symposium on green jobs last fall.) A total of 7 people have donated $2400 and another 11 have given $4800. Approximately 20% of the itemized donations came from out of state. I didn’t see any famous names but politico Connie Williams donated. A little more than a third of his money came from 57 PACs. Of the 57, 18 were from the campaigns or leadership PACs of other candidates or officials; Lentz is amiable and appears to have made friends. A number of other PACs are occupational, such as the National Elevator Constructors PAC. He’s been fairly frugal with disbursements. He has 3 paid staff but no payments for health insurance that I can see yet. It might be too early for that. He’s spent $6500 on website development.

Pat Meehan, Republican

Receipts
Contributions
Itemized 494,288.21
Unitemized 9,602.61
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 503,890.82 / 707,939.89
Other Political Committees (such as PACS) 75,950.00 / 83,450.00
Total Receipts 579,840.82 / 791,389.89
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 93,175.69 / 93,782.75
Refunds: 3,400.00 / 3,400.00
Total Disbursements 96,575.69 / 97,182.75
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 210.942.01
Total Receipts This Period 579,840.82
Total Disbursements This Period 96,575.69
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 694,207.14

There’s no question that Meehan brought in more money from more people with a higher in state percentage. About 10% of his donors were from out of state. However, more of his are tapped out. A total of 35 people donated $2400, and 37 donated $4800 – those 37 cannot donate again but could suggest that their friends do so. Meehan knows a lot of Indian chiefs – there were a lot of occupational listings such as CEO, president, VP, and executive. However, he also had a Honda salesman. There are a lot of bankers and insurance people listed. The president of the Phillies also donated. There are 29 PAC donors listed. Of these 7 are political campaigns or leadership PACS. However, on his individual donations page he lists several LLP’s and an additional 7 political pacs. I don’t know if those were separated out again as donations from individuals or what. In disbursements he lists one paid staff person but there are monthly retainer fees for 4 other people that may be staff but listed differently for accounting purposes. He paid $10K for pr and material drafting, $16K for website hosting, etc., One odd note, there is a $160.50 payment to Meehan for Congress for photo rights. Doesn’t he own the right to his own photos? There is probably more to the story; it just looked strange. He has $5k in debt.


Joe Sestak isn’t running for Sestak’s congressional campaign still has over $4 million on hand.

8th Congressional District

Patrick Murphy, Incumbent Democrat (elected 2006)

Receipts
Contributions
Individual Itemized 212,500.00
Individual Unitemized 17,655.47
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 230,155.47 / 1,048,334.51
Political Party Committees 0.00 / 1,160.00
PACS 91,150.00 / 414,325.00
Total Contributions 321,305.47 / 1,462,819.51
Transfers from Other Authorized Committees 2,000.00 / 5,000.00
Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, Rebates, etc) 1,292.72 / 19,064.45
Other Receipts 1,901.02 / 3388.76
Total Receipts 326,499.21 / 1,491,272,72
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 100,447.08 / 943,048.05
Total Refunds 0.00 / 1821.20
Other Disbursements 2,550.00 / 45,502.36
Total Disbursements 102,997.08 / 990,371.61
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 624,251.51
Total Receipts This Period 326,499.21
Total Disbursements This Period 102,997.08
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 847,753.64

Murphy should keep an eye on his in and out of state donor ratio. Over half of his donors (which does not necessarily mean more than half of his money) came from out of state. A lot of his donations were repeat contributors adding small amounts to what they had already donated, or mid-level donors giving $250 or so. Only 4 people completely maxed out at $4800, with an additional 21 reaching the $2400 threshold. As with most reports there are your standard doctors, lawyers, and Indian chiefs (executives of one kind or another). Among the more unusual occupations represented are toymaker, singer / songwriter, midwife, and beer writer. He has donations from two college presidents or chancellors, Teresa Heinz, and the president of the Philadelphia Eagles. Of the 53 PACs that donated only 1 is a leadership PAC. The other are a variety of occupational and interest organizations; perhaps the most noteworthy is the Anheuser Busch PAC. In disbursements, there are 6 salaried employees and he pays for health insurance. There is nothing unusual in the other payments. The only remaining debt is one that has been lingering for some time, for a copier machine lease.

assorted Republicans
Former congressman Mike Fitzpatrick announced his campaign too late to be required to file a quarterly report. Judith Algeo raised a little over $6K and has a little over $5K on hand. Dean Malik raised a little over $28K, $12 from the candidate, and 5 donations of $2400. He had no expenditures. Rob Mitchell raised almost $9K, spent nearly $17K, has about $24,500 on hand with a debt of $32,646.

13th Congressional District

Allyson Schwartz, Incumbent District (elected 2004)

Receipts
Contributions
Individual Itemized 192,425.00
Individual Unitemized 8,331.00
Total Of Contributions From Individuals 200,756.00 / 896,018.08
Political Party Commitees 6.39 / 93.28
Other Political Committees (such as PACS) 142,829.42 / 532,052.68
Total Contributions 343,591.81 / 1,428,164.04
Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, Rebates, etc) 2,941.72 / 8,391.81
Other Receipts 7,206.34 / 36,858.11
Total Receipts 353,739.87 / 1,473,413.96
Disbursements
Operating Expenditures 100,936.84 / 411,136.77
Total Contribution Refunds 0.00 / 2,175.00
Other Disbursements 7,180.00 / 239,120.00
Total Disbursements 108,116.84 / 652,431.77
Cash Summary
Cash On Hand At Beginning Of Reporting Period 2,594,852.26
Total Receipts This Period 353,739.87
Total Disbursements This Period 108,116.84
Cash On Hand At Close Of The Reporting Period 2,840,475.29

Schwartz’s out of state contributions are neglible. Her PAC vs individual ratio is a little high this quarter. She can also revisit donors, with only 17 donating $2400 or more and only 9 donating $4800. There is nothing unusual about her group of donors, other than a strength among people in the health field. She does have good civic associations, with donations from executives at the Please Touch Museuam, Museum of Art, WHYY, PennPraxis, and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. The support of medical professionals also shows in the number of health related PACs in the 85 that donated to her. In disbursements she paid health insurance for her staff. There are 2 salaried employees, $11K for a fundraising consultant, some housekeeping matters (car payments, storage fees, and some auditing). She donated a little over $6K to political groups, mostly in Philadelphia. I think there might be an amendment though, due to some donation overages.

Damian Dachowski, Republican challenger

Dr. Dachowski raised a little over $12K, spent nearly $13K, and has a little more than $22k on hand.

Dee Adcock, Republican raised $3350, spent $15K, with almost $3K on hand with a debt of $15K.
.

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."

More on Pike and Choice

If yesterday's spate of press releases and op-eds outlining the stance of the Democratic candidates for the 6th congressional district on the touchy matter of abortion (see pa2010 for a recap) is anything to go by, it is a topic of interest.

One candidate, Doug Pike, has either an advantage or a handicap, depending on your viewpoint. He served on the Inquirer's editorial board for 14 years. Going through the editorials published during his years on the board can provide a lot of grist for the mill.

I've been reading through some of the editorials published under his byline. Since they have his name on them I'm assuming they are primarily his work. Given the online discussions yesterday, one in particular jumped out at me. In 1988 (August 8, 1988) an editorial with Pike's byline with the title "Setting Guidelines in Search of Answers on the Abortion Issue," was published. Keep in mind that this was published over 20 years ago. The editorial primarily discusses policy issues, where the laws stood at the time and what might change them. I found it a reasoned analysis of the issue, and one that many, if not most, people would agree with, even today.

Here are a couple of paragraphs:

At a rate nationally of 1.5 million a year, abortions are serving as a belated form of birth control. There's a gruesomeness to this wholesale disposal of what abortion backers insist is less than a baby and what anti- abortionists know is more than a glob. Even if abortions were slowed by one-third or even two-thirds by bolstering sex education and birth-control programs (many abortion foes imagine that facts and prophylactics have the opposite effect), the annual toll still should turn the stomachs of people who have quietly gone along with Roe v. Wade (1973) as to a woman's right to an abortion.

For most Americans, several circumstances pose an overwhelming rationale for the freedom to choose an abortion. One is to protect the mother's life - the only basis on which federal Medicaid dollars currently fund a financially needy woman's abortion. Yet cases of rape and incest seem just as compelling. To force a woman to bear a child by her attacker is to make the rape nine months long. (Last month the Senate voted to restore federal Medicaid funding for victims of rape and incest.)

Keep in mind the editorial was written in 1988. The Inquirer holds the copyright so I'm not reprinting the whole thing but check your local library to see if you have online access that far back to read the whole thing (or, for the truly curious, see if microfilm is available).

Pike Announces Campaign Finance Committee

In keeping with tonight's 6th congressional district theme, this is from today's inbox:

Today, Pike for Congress is announcing the formation of its Finance Committee and its first 9 members, who have pledged to help Doug Pike turn the 6th District blue in 2010. Each of the distinguished members of the committee will be invaluable to our efforts.

Sam Becker - Partner, Blank Rome
Darren Check - Partner, Barroway Topaz Kessler Meltzer & Check
Doug Kahn - Progressive Activist and Donor
Mark Mazo - Partner, Hogan & Hartson
Clyde Rankin - Partner, Baker and McKenzie
Jim Reilly - Chester County Business Leader
Richard Schiffrin - Attorney, Schiffrin & Associates
Patricia Schroeder - Former U.S. Representative (D-Colorado)
Bill Titelman - Director, Grant & Eisenhofer

If, like me, you have no idea who these people are (the only name I recognized is Schroeder), check out this primer from PoliticsPA -- it gives a brief rundown on some of the more impressive names on the list.

Pike / Trivedi Dust Up

In case you missed it, the two Democrats running for the open seat in the 6th congressional district, Doug Pike and Manan Trivedi, went at it hammer and tongs today. Or, if you prefer, imagine two cats having a territorial spat and whacking each other on the head.

PA2010.com has the full complement of press releases.

Both candidates were at the Gerber / Onorato endorsement event last night so maybe there was something in the water?

Dueling Endorsements: It Is SOOO On in 6th District

Dueling press releases today from the campaigns of Doug Pike and Manan Trivedi, Democratic candidates for the now open 6th congressional district race.

Pike wins the numbers race. He brings in 8 Democratic elected or party officials:

From Berks County:
- State Representative and Judiciary Committee Chairman Thomas R. Caltigirone (D-127th)

From Chester County:
- State Committee Member Mary Ann Good
- Chester County Democratic Treasurer Kevin Fitzpatrick
- Phoenixville Councilman Michael Speck
- Phoenixville Councilman David Gill

From Montgomery County:
- 1st Vice-Chair, Montgomery County Democratic Committee & State Committee Member Joanne Olsyewski
- Co-Chair of the Democratic Committee of Lower Merion & Narberth Joe Foster
- Former Lower Merion Township Commissioner Felice Wiener

an a buffet of labor support:

Labor Endorsements, as of Sept 10:
- Operating Engineers Local 542
- Bricklayers Local 5
- James Weyrauch, President AFGE Local 644 and Vice President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO

Financial Supporters, as of Sept 10:
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- United Food & Commercial Workers

Trivedi wins the "in your FACE" award by picking up the endorsement of the 2008 candidate, Bob Roggio. From their press release:

“Through my conversations with Manan, I became fully aware that he understands this district, its needs, and how to get things done. He grew up in this district and has seen what our families have gone through,” said Roggio. “He has demonstrated to me by his hard work in becoming a physician and through his service in the Iraq War that the people of the 6th district will have a tireless champion. He has dealt with the biggest issues of our time and now we need him in Congress. That is exactly why I am endorsing Manan Trivedi today,” Roggio concluded.

The endorsement by Bob Roggio marks the first formal political support that Trivedi has received since the launch of his campaign just two days ago. Trivedi, who grew up in Berks County and has been a life-long Democrat, is seeking his party’s nomination in the May 18 primary.

“Receiving this endorsement at the start of our campaign means a great deal to me. Bob has built a stellar reputation for being committed to this community. Our campaign will benefit greatly from his wisdom, insight, and guidance,” said Trivedi. “As someone who understands what it is like to be on the frontlines, I am sure glad I have Bob Roggio to stand with me as we move forward.”

We await the next round of press releases.

Trivedi to Run in 6th Congressional District

Doug Pike has some company in the race to be the Democratic candidate in the 6th congressional District. Manan Trivedi has jumped in (see details below). Trivedi is ahead in the all important twitter followers contest, though more of his followers appear to be from out of state (www.twitter.com/dougpike against www.twitter.com/manantrivedi). He is also ahead in the ActBlue fundraising race, and his campaign website is jazzier. What Pike brings to the race is the $510,000 he has given / loaned his campaign.

Here is Trivedi's press release and bio:

Today Manan Trivedi announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 6th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. Recently retired as a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy, Trivedi made his campaign for the 2010 Democratic nomination official.

Trivedi’s roots in the district are deep. He grew up in Fleetwood, Berks County, and then went on to become a decorated Iraq War Veteran by serving as the Battalion Surgeon for a Marine Corps Infantry Battalion in the 5th Regiment. After his tour of service, Trivedi returned home to the district, and he now resides in Reading, where he works as a board-certified internal medicine doctor at Reading Hospital.

“I was raised in this district by working-class parents and experienced what many families are going through now with the loss of their jobs and their pensions. But I also learned the importance of serving others and working hard for things that matter. These principles have guided my career, from the battlefield to the emergency room,” said Trivedi.

“I am now prepared to serve my community in a new capacity: in the halls of Congress. We have some big challenges facing our nation. Our healthcare system is broken, we’re engaged in two wars, and our economy continues to struggle. I know how to get things done under extremely difficult situations, and my direct experience with these challenges will give the working families in my district a strong and credible voice in Washington,” Trivedi concluded.

Manan and his wife Surekha have been married for five years, after meeting in college. Trivedi’s recent involvement in Democratic politics was as a Healthcare Advisor to the Obama for America Campaign. For more information, please visit the campaign website at www.trivediforcongress.com.

###

Complete Bio:

From boots on the battleground to scrubs in the emergency room, Manan Trivedi's life's story and life's work have prepared him to confront the pressing challenges Congress faces today.

A son of immigrants from India, Manan Trivedi was born and raised with his brother in Fleetwood, Berks County. His parents worked at the old Red Cheek apple juice factory. He attended public schools and graduated from Fleetwood High School. He went on to college and medical school before embarking on a Naval career that took him to the frontlines of the War in Iraq. Now, he’s a primary care physician in Reading, board certified in internal medicine.

Manan Trivedi’s passion for community service began at a very early age. As a young boy, he won a national contest for launching a healthy eating initiative. In college, he received a community service award for his work with HIV/AIDS patients. As a physician, he has treated the poor and uninsured in the inner city.

From 2001 to 2003, Trivedi served as the Battalion Surgeon for the 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment Marine Corps Infantry Battalion. His battalion was among the first US ground forces to enter Iraq. Trivedi served on the frontlines of battle, commanding a medical team that cared for over 1,200 of our troops and hundreds of Iraqi civilians. For his service, Lt. Commander Trivedi earned the Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Commendation Medal, and his unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

After his service in Iraq, Trivedi received a Masters degree in Health Policy. He drew on his experience with combat medicine to become one of the early researchers to investigate the unique mental health issues affecting our troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Trivedi went on to serve as health policy advisor to the Navy Surgeon Generaland was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

After leaving the Navy, Trivedi is now a primary care physician at Reading Hospital and Medical Center. An expert on public health and Veteran’s health care, Trivedi served as health policy advisor to Barack Obama’s campaign for President. He met his wife Surekha while they were in college together. They live in Reading where they enjoy outdoor activities and are avid Philadelphia sports fans.

More Endorsements for Pike

Doug Pike, Democratic candidate for the now open 6th congressional seat, has picked up two more endorsements: Congressman Chaka Fattah, and State Rep. Mike Gerber.

I think Pike now has the endorsement of all the area Democratic congressional representatives, except Bob Brady (paging Bob, what's the hold up?)

Pike Hires Staff, Raises Money

The race for the 6th congressional district is starting to look lively, whether or not incumbent Jim Gerlach stays in or jumps to the governor's race.

From PoliticsPA:

Murphy, Schwartz give hopeful Pike boost
By Alex Roarty

U.S. reps. Allyson Schwartz and Patrick Murphy attended a fundraiser for Democratic southeast congressional candidate Doug Pike in Washington, D.C. on Monday night, sources who attended the event told PoliticsPA.

Later:

Pike’s campaign announced Monday it had hired Andrew Eldredge-Martin as campaign manager and Amanda McKay as finance director.

Eldredge-Martin was the campaign manager for Chris Carney in 2006, on the PoliticsPA list of best campaigns of that year, with this note:

Campaign manager Drew Eldredge-Martin deserves credit for keeping Carney on message and running among the best Democratic races in the state this year.

An ad from the 2006 Carney campaign is also among four successful campaign tactics listed in the June 2009 PoliticsMagazine "Campaign Takedowns."

This could be the most interesting congressional race of the year.