Yesterday, it was reported that former Governor Tom Ridge (R-Pa) is considering a run for the 2010 GOP Senate nomination in Pennsylvania. Certainly, Ridge would be a formidable challenger for Arlen Specter's seat. The problem? Ridge doesn't live in Pennsylvania.
Even though Ridge's residency issue could be remedied by the filing time for the Pa. GOP primary, his presumptive challenger (uber wingnut Pat Toomey) would certainly make it an issue.
More after the flip...
Former Pa. Governor (and BushCo's first Secretary of Homeland Security) Tom Ridge is apparently considering a Senate run in 2010. If he throws his hat into the GOP primary ring, he'd be going head-to-head with uber wingnut Pat Toomey in the GOP's efforts to unseat incumbent Senator Arlen Specter (D?-Pa.).
The problem is: Ridge has a "Santorum problem". My fellow Kossacks may recall that former Senator Rick Santorum found himself dealing with an uncomfortable residency issue when he tried to retain his Senate seat in 2006: he didn't actually, you know, live in Pennsylvania. In fact, millionaire Santorum actually had the audacity to bill the Penn Hills (Pa.) school district for his kid's school tuition in Virginia.
Tom Ridge has a similiar issue.
In a 2006 filing with the Department of Justice, he registered as a lobbyist for the government of Albania, and listed his primary residence in the toney DC suburb of Chevy Chase, Maryland:
Now, granted, this may not be a logistical problem for Ridge, should he decide to run for the Senate seat from Pennsylvania. He has plenty of time between now and 2010 to legally re-establish his residence in the Keystone State. And certainly, his name recognition in Pa. is high - he'd offer a much stiffer challenge to Specter in the general election than would Pat Toomey, whose appeal is pretty much limited to the religio-fascist wing of the GOP.
Tom Ridge is a smart guy, politically savvy, and very rich. The residency questions would certainly start in the GOP primaries - in fact, it wouldn't be a surprise if Toomey operatives were the source of the DOJ filing - and then carry over to the general election, were Ridge to be the GOP nominee.
Personal note to Tom Ridge: rest on your laurels, sir. You've escaped the worst part of the ongoing Republican apocalypse. Accept the mantle of "elder GOP statesman", and hold it close. You've got a decent legacy. The 2010 Senate race in Pa. is going to be fugly, and you really need to think hard on whether or not you really want to soil your hands (and your soul) with that mess.