Free Republic

Former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey has opened up a 14-point lead among likely voters in his bid to deny U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter a sixth term, according to the latest Daily News/Franklin & Marshall Poll. Poll director G. Terry Madonna said that the results reflect a growing national Republican resurgence mixed with a lack of Democratic enthusiasm as the two parties battle over issues like health care and the economy.

One steps out, one steps in. Nine days after former Erie County Executive Rick Schenker announced that the was quitting the crowded race for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, Luzerne County Commissiner Stephen Anthony Urban took his seat at the table. Urban, 57, made his announcement Saturday. He is a retired U.S. Army ieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War.

Venture capitalist Steve Welch said an interview Thursday that he will remain in the GOP primary race for the 6th Congressional seat despite incumbent Jim Gerlach's late decision to seek re-election.

Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-Pa6) has ended his quest for governor but two other Republican candidates remain besides front-runner Attorney General Tom Corbett, and today's Philadelphia Inquirer has a story about how the supporters of one of them -- state Rep Sam Rohrer who holds the seat for the 128th District in Berks County -- feel the GOP establishment is unduly dismissing their man. Which is probably true and is a shame since Rohrer, who has held his seat since 1992, has some interesting ideas and is not afraid to take on the special interests about the most pressing problems facing...

Keith R. McCall, the Democrat from the 122nd District (Carbon County) who is Speaker of the State House is not seeking re-election. He said he wants to spend time with his family.

State Rep. Curt Schroder (R-155) has announced that he is ending his bid to represent the 6th District of Pennsylvania in Congress due to incumbent Jim Gerlach's decision to seek re-election upon aborting his run for governor. Schroder said: I am ending my candidacy for the 6th Congressional District. I know to many of you this will come as a bitter disappointment. It certainly is to me. . .

Rep. Tim Holden (D-Pa.) might have his firs serious re-election challenge since winning a Member versus Member contest in 2002. State Sen. Dave Argall (R) will announce Monday morning in Harrisburg that he is going to challenge Holden for his central Pennsylvania House seat. Holden has always won re-election with at least 57 percent of the vote over the course of his nine terms in Congress, except for when a GOP-led redistricting plan pit him against then-Rep. George W. Gekas in 2002. But even though Holden has won by convincing margins over the course of his career, national Republican candidates...

Congressman Jim Gerlach (R) has made it official that he will seek re-election to represent Pa6. Gerlach had announced he was leaving congress to seek the governor's office and several Republicans candidates lined up to replace him in what otherwise would have been an uncontested primary.

State Rep. Thomas Killion (R-168) announced today that he is ending his bid for lieutenant governor. He said he will support the gubernatorial campaign by Pa. Attorney General Tom Corbett. Still in the race for the GOP nomination are:

Congressman Joe "Clueless" Sestak told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the Democrats in Washington are a "real disappointment" “We aren’t transparent, not just to thepublic but at times to the members,” Sestak said.

Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) announced today he was quitting his gubernatorial bid. Still in the race to represent the GOP in November are front-runner Attorney General Tom Corbett, National Guardsman Rober Allan Mansfield and State Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-128). (snip) There is speculation that Gerlach will seek re-election in his remarkably gerrymanded district which includes Lower Merion in Montgomery County, Coatesville and Yellow Springs in Chester County, a large section of Berks County and a small part of Lehigh County.

Pat Meehan, the party-endorsed GOP candidate for the Pa7 congressional seat being vacated by Joe "People Love Me" Sestak has raised raises $580,000 in the 4th quarter $790,000 if you count September.

Russ Diamond, the force behind PaCleanSweep which shook the state legislature in 2006, has announced a run for lieutenant governor as a Republican. His platform calls for a convention to reform the state constitution, eliminating property taxes and protecting Pennsylvania from federal intrusion. Those against whom he will be running in the May 18 primary include:

With the closing of embassies in the Middle East, with the airline security system apparently dependent on ad hoc Dutch militia action, and with the unemployment rate at over 10 percent, today's Delaware County Daily Times devoted a half-page to how Congressman Joe "Arlen's Got The Money Honey But I Got The Times" Sestak intends to introduce a bill to improve food-recall notices for schools.

Pennsylvania's congressional delegation will drop by one to 18 according to census estimates. This will be exactly half the number of congressmen the Keystone State sent to Washington in 1930.

Pennsylvania's self-inflicted traffic snarls become more expensive, Jan. 3, when the Turnpike Commission raises the rate by 3 percent. The PTC raised the rate by 25 percent last January.

Former Pa. Gov. Dick Thornburgh is the latest to call for ending the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. He notes that the " top-heavy" PTC, with more than 2,000 employees, manages 537 miles of turnpike highways; compared to PennDOT which manages nearly40,000 highway miles along with tens of thousands more miles of localroads, railways and bridges.

Corbett, the front-runner among GOP hopefuls for the job, captures 48% to former Congressman Joe Hoeffel’s 26%. Against Scranton Mayor Christopher Doherty, Corbett wins 46% to 23%. Likely GOP Senate nominee Pat Toomey holds a slight lead over both Specter and Sestak in a look at potential 2010 general election match-ups,

Rob Mitchell, congressional candidate for PA's 8th District responds to this weekend's Senate deliberations on sweeping health care reform legislation....

The Philadelphia Inquirer in today's front page story managed to put a D after Stephen Stetler's name when reporting his resignation as Pennsylvania's revenue secretary shortly before Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that he was one of three officials being charged with six counts of conflict of interest, theft, and conspiracy. Granted the Inky didn't spell out the D as Democrat, nor did they put the word in the headline as they would have perhaps if another party had been involved,