Expert: Low Voter Turnout Could Eat Into Wolf’s Margin Of Victory

Map of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Democratic candidate for governor Tom Wolf seems the clear front-runner for Tuesday’s primary, but an expected low voter turnout could shrink his margin of victory significantly.

“I can see him winning by 4 or 5 percent,” said Dr. Thomas Baldino, professor of political science at Wilkes University. “I’d be surprised if he won by 13 percent, or even double digits.

The hype of an increasingly aggressive and negative ad campaign won’t change the fact that voters — particularly Democratic voters — usually don’t show up for midterm primaries or elections, Baldino said.

“It won’t be any historic low, but it’ll be low,” Baldino said. “In the aggregate, a registered Republican is more likely to vote than a registered Democrat.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/expert-low-voter-turnout-could-eat-into-wolf-s-margin-of-victory-1.1688714

Wolf Maintains Large Lead Over Dem Rivals In New Poll

With less than a week left before Pennsylvanians head to the polls, Tom Wolf continues to hold a sizable lead in the Democratic gubernatorial race.

The latest Franklin & Marshall College Poll, released Wednesday, shows 33 percent of registered Democrats favor Wolf, more than doubling the 14 percent of his nearest competitor, Allyson Schwartz.

Rob McCord placed third in the newest poll at 9 percent, with Katie McGinty coming in last at 5 percent.

Thirty-nine percent of voters remain undecided.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/news/1396510/Wolf-maintains-large-lead-over-Dem-rivals-in-new-poll

A Look At The Pennsylvania Governor Candidates’ Different Plans For The Minimum Wage, Drilling And Marijuana Laws

Standard of the Governor of Pennsylvania http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-pa.html#gov (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All four Democrats running for governor want to get more revenue from natural gas drilling. But they have different plans for how to tax the extraction and what to do with the money.

All four want to raise the minimum wage, but they don’t all agree by how much.

When it comes to marijuana laws, they aren’t in lockstep either.

The May 20 primary will decide whether state environmental protection secretary Katie McGinty, state Treasurer Rob McCord, U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz or York County businessman Tom Wolf will get the Democratic nomination for governor.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_25638608/look-at-pa-governor-candidates-different-plans-minimum

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski To Withdraw From Pennsylvania Governor Race, Source Says

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski plans to drop out of the race for Pennsylvania governor, according to a source.

Pawlowski, a Democrat who had been seeking to challenge Republican incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett, will withdraw from the race Monday and endorse Treasurer Rob McCord, the source said.

Mike Fleck, Pawlowski’s campaign manager, declined to comment except to say Pawlowski would hold a news conference 11 a.m. Monday to discuss the governor’s race.

Pawlowski did not immediately respond to a phone call for comment tonight.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/elections/index.ssf/2014/01/allentown_mayor_ed_pawlowski_t.html

Corbett Compares Same-Sex Marriage To Incest

HARRISBURG, PA – Pennsylvania Gov. Corbett on Friday compared same-sex marriage to the marriage of brothers and sisters.

The Republican governor, whose approval ratings have been low and who is up for reelection next year, made the comments during an interview with WHP-TV in Harrisburg, after being asked about a controversial statement his lawyers had made over the summer on gay marriage.

During the interview, Corbett called “inappropriate” his attorneys’ statement in an August court filing. In the filing, the attorneys wrote that gay marriage is against Pennsylvania law, just as marriage is between children.

The governor then told the news station that he thought “a much better analogy would have been brother and sister, don’t you?”

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20131005_Corbett_compares_same-sex_marriage_to_brother-sister_union.html#A7xRLwC0WQogOpz0.99

Schwartz Launches Her 2014 Bid For Governor

English: Official congressional portrait of Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As U.S. REP. Allyson Schwartz gears up for a 2014 gubernatorial campaign, a familiar name is talking about succeeding her in the 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Marjorie Margolies, a former television reporter who teaches at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, held that seat for one term, from 1993 to 1995.

She famously lost re-election after changing her 1993 vote on then-President Bill Clinton’s budget, giving him a one-vote margin of victory that broke her promise not to support an increase in federal taxes.

There are no hard feelings, though, since they are now related by marriage – Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea, is married to Margolies’ son.

Read more:  http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20130409_Schwartz_launches_her_2014_bid_for_governor.html

Allyson Schwartz Nearly Certain To Face Corbett, insiders Say

English: Official congressional portrait of Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz is all but certain to run for governor next year, buoyed by a $3.1 million campaign fund and a recent poll that showed her leading Gov. Corbett in a test matchup, according to several people familiar with the Montgomery County Democrat’s thinking.

The five-term House member from Jenkintown has been positioning herself for a gubernatorial run for a couple of months.

As evidence of her increasing prominence, the Pennsylvania GOP, in its statement last week responding to President Obama’s State of the Union speech, asked: “When will Allyson Schwartz present a serious plan to control spending?”

“She’s making all the phone calls, taking all the meetings you would do to run for governor, but I don’t think she’s made her final decision,” said Montgomery County Democratic Chairman Marcel Groen. He has estimated the chance of Schwartz’s running at better than 80 percent.

Read more:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20130218_Allyson_Schwartz_nearly_certain_to_face_Corbett__insiders_say.html

Fellow Dems Call For Weiner To Resign And Enter Rehabilitation

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Allyson Schwartz has publically called for Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to resign from the U.S. House of Representatives.  Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) is in charge of candidate recruitment and member services for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  Her call for Weiner’s resignation indicates to many that the party wants Weiner to step down.  This kind of scandal will make Democratic victories more challenging in 2o12.

More commentary on Weinergate by yet another country heard from – Fast Eddie Spendell (D-PA), former bankruptor of Pennsylvania said that Weiner should resign and go to rehab, even going as far as suggesting in-patient treatment.  Well thanks for the medical opinion there Eddo.  Betcha didn’t know Fast Eddie had a medical credential along with his other various and sundry talents.

Of course, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has called for an ethics investigation to determine if Weiner broke House rules.  Knowing Nancy is on the job makes me sleep so much better at night.

Stay tuned for more breaking news on Weinergate!

Lansdale Slated For Downtown Makeover

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Downtown Lansdale is getting “spruced up” soon thanks to a $500,000 federal grant procured by U.S. Representative Allyson Schwartz and an additional $1.8 million dollars in funding from the Transportation Equity Act of 2005.

A ceremonial groundbreaking is scheduled for January 24^th at Railroad Plaza, on the corner of Main and Madison Streets.  The construction will take place on several streets in downtown Lansdale.

New sidewalks, streetlights and (dare I say) shade trees are being added to bring curb appeal to the downtown shopping district.  Wonder if Mr. Hylton was consulted about this???  

The contractor, Wexcon Inc., will be establishing a construction headquarters in Lansdale, which is expected to cut costs.  Wexcon is trying to make the project minimally invasive to downtown merchants by doing construction in one block increments and on one side of the street at a time.  Sounds better than ripping up the entire downtown all at once!

A webcam installation is being considered so residents can watch the progress on the borough website.