(Written in response to someone who asked on Facebook what I think of Hoeffel for governor) I'm generally cautious by nature. I've often gone with the "most electable" and "more moderate" Dem candidate in primaries because I don't want to risk losing a key district or statewide office. But I'm planning to vote for Joe Hoeffel for governor in the primary. I expect to support the Democratic nominee even if it's not Hoeffel, but Joe Hoeffel is my first choice. My reasons go beyond him being the only Democrat running who supports full marriage equality. I think Hoeffel has the best position on several major issues and is showing more leadership on those issues.
I don't really buy the "Joe can't win" talk. I remember thinking in 2002 there was no way "liberal Philadelphian" Ed Rendell could win the Democratic nomination, let alone beat a Republican for governor. I'm glad I was wrong about that. :-) Yes, Joe's behind in fundraising right now, but if he does win the primary, I think the party would unite to help him raise enough to be competitive with the Republican nominee.
A prominent and active LGBT blogger in Allegheny County, Sue of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents ( http://www.pghlesbian.com/ ), is supporting Hoeffel, rather than Allegheny County residents Onorato and Wagner. She made a persuasive argument last month -- why should we settle when we're still in the primary stage, not the fall D vs. R part of the election? (Read more at http://www.pghlesbian.com/...
Sue also keeps a ticker on her page noting that Onorato has been in office more than 6 years and Allegheny County government still doesn't provide domestic-partner benefits to its employees. The state does provide DP benefits to its employees.
Hoeffel has been actively courting LGBT support - he's even been advertising on major gay blogs like Towleroad, highlighting his support for marriage equality.
Hoeffel has also been showing leadership in other areas -- for example, we need to have a progressive ("graduated") state income tax so the wealthy pay their fair share like they do in many other states. (Especially important for when the federal stimulus money runs out.) Onorato's response was that it would take a change to the state constitution, which would take two or more years. But Hoeffel is out there pushing for it so he can win a mandate to make that change and extend the boundaries of what's possible. (Worth noting that at least one progressive PA economist has said we might be able to do it more easily, by just taxing wages differently from investment income.)
I do believe that any of the Democrats would be better than Corbett (or right-wing extremist Rohrer).
-- Exhibit A: How the new Virginia governor is making gay people who supported him last year look like suckers -- Flashback: http://ricksincerethoughts.blogspot.... And today: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/...
-- Exhibit B: What the "moderate" Republican new governor is doing in New Jersey: http://youngphillypolitics.com/...
Alex (a mutual friend who supports Onorato) makes some good points about positive aspects of Onorato's record on the economy.
To my knowledge, all four Democrats support a basic and achievable bill that would help LGBT people: making it illegal to fire someone just for being gay. The bill (HB 300) would ban discrimination in employment, housing and credit based on sexual orientation and gender identity. (More details here: http://www.endlegaldiscrimination.org/ )
Already 21 other states have a law like that like that covers gay people; a smaller number also protect transgender people. We need to catch up. Corbett would probably veto it, and more likely, some in the legislature would just point to him being in the governor's office as a reason not to even try passing it. (Kind of the flip side of how Senate Republicans said in the 2007-08 session there was no point trying to pass the "marriage amendment" because the Democratic-majority state House would just kill it in committee. Which is one reason why keeping Democrats in charge of the state House is so important. Disclosure: I work for them. But I'd still think that if I didn't.)
(Website for the Pa. House Dem campaign committee: http://www.pahdcc.com/ Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/... )
Onorato seems to have taken several months to come out publicly for the county-level anti-discrimination bill (from at least Nov. 2008 to April 2009, according to a search at http://www.pghlesbian.com for "ordinance" -- maybe longer depending on how you want to count it).
And I doubt state Senator Anthony Williams, the newest Dem candidate for governor, would be to many progressives' liking in the primary. Two reasons: he said today he doesn't support same-sex civil marriage ( http://blogs.mcall.com/... ) and he's apparently getting a lot of his campaign contributions from Republicans ( http://www.philly.com/... ).
I know that there's always a need to make sure your platform isn't so far ahead of the majority of voters that you can't get elected, but there's also a need to be bold enough that if you win, you have a mandate to actually pass laws that address the problems the state faces (like the lack of civil rights for LGBT people). Some people think Onorato or Wagner strike the right balance, and I respect their opinion. On the other hand, I remember how electability worked out in Bush vs. Kerry in 2004. In hindsight, a clearer contrast like Howard Dean might have been a better choice to go up against Bush.
I'm not against Onorato, Wagner or Williams. I just think we can do better.
If Hoeffel wins the governor's office, that would show at the very least that being a full-throated supporter of marriage equality and the progressive income tax doesn't keep you from winning statewide in Pennsylvania. And it would shift most people's views of what's possible. That would be huge.