The big day is here:
http://www.philly.com/...
Pennsylvania Democrats will go to the polls Tuesday to choose a nominee to take on Gov. Corbett after a sometimes-ugly primary campaign that has cost more than $31 million before the final bills are totaled.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. An estimated one million registered Democrats, or 25 percent of the total, are expected to cast ballots for governor, a turnout in the range of the last two contested Democratic gubernatorial primaries.
In Southeastern Pennsylvania, voters will choose party nominees in two congressional districts.
Voters also will decide nearly four dozen contested primaries statewide for seats in the General Assembly, where both chambers are controlled by Republicans. Half the 50 Senate seats and all 203 House seats are up for election this year. - Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/19/14
And looking at the latest batch of polls, it looks like Democrats have found their nominee:
http://www.bizjournals.com/...
A pair of new polls show that York, Pa. businessman Tom Wolf holds a comfortable lead in the race for the Democratic primary for governor.
In a Franklin & Marshall College poll, Wolf got 33 percent of the vote, well ahead of his closest challenger Allyson Schwartz (14 percent). Rob McCord (9 percent) and Katie McGinty (5 percent) remain well behind.
As was the case in many previous polls, the undecided voters make up the largest population at 39 percent.
In a new Harper's poll , Wolf holds a commanding lead with 50 percent of the vote. McCord and Schwartz each had 15 percent. McGinty got 5 percent. Sixteen percent were undecided. - Philadelphia Business Journal, 5/14/14
Here's a little more info:
http://articles.mcall.com/...
In modern history, no Democratic candidate for governor has overcome such a wide gap to win a primary election, said F&M pollster and political science professor G. Terry Madonna. The closest similarity, he said, is Ed Rendell, who overcame an 11-percentage-point difference to beat Bob Casey Jr. in the 2002 primary election.
"But it took him months to do it in a two-person race," Madonna said. "This is a multi-field race."
Wolf had been at the bottom of the polls after announcing his candidacy in April 2013. That started changing in January when he began airing thousands of television commercials, funded by his own money and a $4.5 million personal loan.
By February, Wolf led the pack, and he has not relinquished the top spot despite political attacks that McCord and Schwartz launched in April. - The Morning Call, 5/14/14
Here's a little more info about the frontrunner:
http://articles.philly.com/...
The Democratic candidate for governor has roamed the world, but he is rooted at North 40 degrees 3'46" latitude and West 76 degrees, 42'20" longitude.
"It was a place I never really had to leave because you could get on your bicycle and just be entertained from morning to night," Wolf said of his boyhood. And the neighbor ladies watched over it all, ready to call mothers at the first sign of trouble.
Wolf has sold that sense of place as a key part of his story in the millions of dollars worth of television ads that have propelled him to a commanding lead in the May 20 primary: the man who grew his family building-supplies business, sold it, bought it again, and resuscitated it in the depths of the recession; a former Peace Corps volunteer in India; a go-to leader of York-area charities for decades; an academic with a Ph.D. from MIT; state revenue secretary.
Those ads show a homespun Wolf driving a five-speed Jeep, wearing comfortable sweaters, and living, as the narrator says in one, in the same house his parents brought him home to from the hospital.
He sounds like a modern-day Cincinnatus, who left his plow to save Rome and then returned home when he was done.
"That's what growing up in a small town like this does to you," Wolf said. "If you see something that ought to be changed, or if you see a problem that something ought to be done about, you do it. You see litter in the street, you pick it up. You want to have a baseball game, you organize one. . . . That's the way you live your life."
Wolf did not inherit his control of the family's Wolf Organization; he bought into it along with two cousins after apprenticing as a fork-lift operator and running one of the firm's Tru-Value hardware stores. The partners built it from $7 million in annual sales to nearly $400 million.
Then, in 2006, Wolf and his cousins sold control to a private equity firm (while keeping a minority stake) in a buyout that was leveraged with $60 million in debt the new owners took on. The equity firm shed the company's lumberyards in 2007 as the economy softened, laying off several hundred workers. When the recession hit in 2008, housing construction cratered, and the Wolf Organization was soon on its back.
In 2009, Wolf and his cousins raised $34 million and bought back control of the company; he has presented it as a rescue that saved more than 200 Pennsylvania jobs.
Wolf says nobody anticipated such a deep crash, and notes that he had no obligation to "go back into the burning building," as he puts it. "I saved those jobs," he said. - Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/12/14
And Wolf has overcome some very harsh attacks and criticisms:
http://www.npr.org/...
With few ideological differences between the candidates, the primary debates turned personal. McCord accused Wolf of supporting a racist mayor. Wolf countered that when he learned about the mayor, he convinced him to drop a re-election bid.
Another candidate has pointed to Wolf's lack of political experience. Rep. Allyson Schwartz says she's the one who knows how to get things done at the state capitol.
"We cannot take a risk of someone who is untested, unproven in bringing leadership to government," Schwartz said. "It is different than running a business."
Wolf says on top of running his family's large cabinetry business, he was in the Peace Corp, has a Ph.D. in political science and was appointed state revenue secretary.
"Actually I've had a very broad experience in things and I think if I'm unqualified, somebody like me is unqualified to hold public office, then I think that's a serious indictment of our democracy," Wolf said.
The other Democratic gubernatorial hopeful is Katie McGinty, an environmental adviser during the Clinton administration.
Wolf has maintained a double-digit lead over his rivals, says Chris Borick at the Muhlenberg College, Institute of Public Opinion.
"Wolf's strategy of getting out early, getting on the airwaves and establishing a positive campaign has held pretty well for him in the polls," Borick says.
Borick says that positive first impression could also make Wolf a strong Corbett challenger in November. On Tuesday, one key thing will be how much support Wolf garners in Philadelphia's suburbs.
"They're just so powerful in terms of the number of swing voters — the overall size in the number of voters in those areas — that they often really dictate what happens statewide," he says. - NPR, 5/19/14
It's clear Wolf's self-fundraising, campaign strategy and strategy have paid off. Wolf painted himself as a the type of boss who cares about his employees:
http://www.ydr.com/...
The Inquirer reported that the $41 million investment had decreased in value. It was worth $22 million, as of Dec. 31, 2013, according to reports to clients, The Inquirer reported.
Shortly after The Inquirer article came out, the Wolf campaign sent out a message to supporters from Cindi Kelly, identified as a Wolf Organization employee.
"Tom didn't have to save the company, but he did it anyway because he knew hundreds of jobs — and the families and community they support — were at stake," Kelly said in the message.
Mark Nicastre, a spokesman for Wolf's campaign, has said that because of Wolf's leadership and reinvention of the company's business model, the organization is now "thriving."
"Weston Presidio's investment in Wolf is now valued at over $19 million — up from zero in 2009 — and they expect that number to only grow in the future," Nicastre said in a statement Friday.
Wolf said Friday the company has gained "tens of millions of dollars in value" since he came back.
"Since I've been back, I've done nothing but increase the value of the company," he said.
Wolf stepped down as chief executive officer at the end of December and is the current executive chairman for the board.
In March, the Wolf Organization and Wolf's campaign allowed the York Daily Record/Sunday News to review documents that showed the Wolf Organization earned a profit of more than $6 million for 2013, and shared nearly $1.26 million in pre-tax profit sharing with employees.
For 2012, the profit was above $2.1 million, and $427,412 in pre-tax profit sharing was set aside for employees. - YDR Local News, 4/20/14
I think that narrative played well for a lot of Democratic voters, especially more left-leaning ones. Schwartz, who I was an early supporter off, seemed to have not run the stellar campaign she needed to win:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Schwartz has built her campaign on her experience as a legislator, and she expected that her résumé would help carry her to the Democratic nomination and give her a shot at becoming the first female governor of the nation’s sixth-most-populous state.
Yet Schwartz has not been able to translate her regional name recognition into a persona with appeal across a demographically diverse state.
Many voters consider her experience in dysfunctional Washington to be a potential flaw rather than a plus. And the state Democratic establishment, eager for a candidate perceived as a stronger challenger to Gov. Tom Corbett (R) in November, has all but cast Schwartz aside, with influential figures such as former governor Edward G. Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter staying on the sidelines — seen by some as tacit endorsements of Wolf.
Schwartz “ran a bad campaign,” said Rendell, a former mayor of Philadelphia. “Schwartz was a little better known [than Wolf], but a congressman is not a mayor. I think she thought she had the same hometown appeal as I did.” - Washington Post, 5/19/14
And it might just be a factor of the party shifting more to the left:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/...
In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, two leaders of Third Way, a pro-business, centrist Democratic group that listed Schwartz as an “honorary co-chair,” warned the Democratic Party against following the example of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whose elections the previous two Novembers seem to herald a new, emboldened left flank. De Blasio’s and Warren’s ++ideas about reducing inequality++ [], the Third Way leaders wrote, were “a fantasy-based blue-state populism” that would lead the party over “the populist cliff.”
Progressive groups and bloggers were outraged, and Schwartz’s rivals, seizing on the dust-up, hammered the congresswoman for her association with the group. The campaign, her advisers acknowledge, was rattled. Schwartz eventually dropped her association with Third Way, but the polls have been trending downward ever since.
“In the ’90s, when Clinton was president, it gave some credence to groups like Third Way,” said one local political operative. “I think at the time when income inequality is such a central issue and we have gone through the financial collapse and it seems like Wall Street was responsible for it, the country just isn’t there anymore. Groups that have been pushing Democrats to be more corporate-friendly at the expense of spending on social issues are living 20 years past their expiration date.”
How much has the Democratic Party of Pennsylvania moved to the left? Consider this: When Schwartz won her seat in the suburbs in 2004, it was carved out to elect a Republican. She beat one and held the seat for 10 years, and now a front-runner to replace her is Daylin Leach, a state lawmaker who proudly calls himself “The Liberal Lion of Pennsylvania.” Leach received the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders and is threatening to hold a sit-in in Gov. Corbett’s office to bring attention to the issue of medical marijuana.
“She’s a centrist. She wanted to run as a progressive, but her voting record and her associations disproved it,” said John Hangar, a one-time candidate who before dropping out jumped on Schwartz’s Third Way connections. “Economic unfairness is moving public opinion. Two years ago, proposing a $10.10 minimum wage would have made you a radical. Now it’s like, ‘We already got that.’ There is something going on in the political world of the average worker that is causing them to favor strong, liberal actions, and I think Allyson probably missed that.”
For her part, Schwartz backs a $10.10 minimum wage. She supported the bailout of the banks but wanted stricter oversight, too, supporting the creation of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.
But she also thought the Bush tax cuts should be extended for everyone making less than $500,000, double what many liberals called for and more than what President Obama favored. “In my district, there are families that make $200,000 that don’t feel enormously wealthy, so I was open to that discussion,” she says. The government, she adds, “has to create the environment for private-sector growth. Now, some progressives are critical of that. On the federal level, I have been clear: The country needs to balance its budget and deal with its debt.” - The Daily Beast, 5/12/14
I think it's a mixture of column A and column B. Schwartz has always been socially liberal. She's unapologetically pro-choice and has been an early supporter of marriage equality. But with her past connections with Third Way and the public's disdain for Congress, Schwartz's candidacy was dead for a little while now. But you also have to factor in Rob McCord's (D. PA) negative attacks hurting him more than Wolf:
http://www.mcall.com/...
Tom Wolf retains an all-but-unbeatable 23-point lead over his nearest foe heading into Tuesday's voting for the state's next Democratic candidate for governor, the latest Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll shows.
Former state Revenue Secretary Wolf stands at 37 percent, U.S. Rep. Schwartz at 14 percent, state Treasury Secretary McCord at 9 percent and former state Environmental Protection Secretary McGinty at 5 percent, the poll shows.
The race positions have not changed since the last Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll released May 1. But McCord's performance is dropping.
The number of voters who indicated in phone surveys they would vote for McCord dropped 2 percentage points between the last poll, conducted April 28 to April 30, and the new poll, done Monday through Thursday.
McCord's favorable rating has dropped even further. It's gone from 43 percent to 37 percent.
By comparison, Wolf's favorable rating has dropped 2 percentage points to 70 percent.
Schwartz's favorable rating went down 2 percentage points to 47 percent.
McGinty's rose 7 percentage points to 35 percent.
Those changes coincide with McCord's stepped-up attacks in debates and TV commercials against Wolf. By comparison, McGinty has not attacked Wolf or any other candidate.
McCord has tried to paint Wolf as a racist. He's criticized Wolf for briefly serving in 2001 as honorary campaign chairman for former York Mayor Charlie Robertson, who was charged and later acquitted of a murder that happened while he was a police officer during a 1969 race riot.
McCord also has taken issue with a letter to York newspapers signed by Wolf and other York-area businessmen that condemned reporting of Robertson's arrest as damaging to the city's image.
Wolf has maintained he had little to do with Robertson's campaign and more recently has claimed he worked quietly behind the scenes to force Robertson to withdraw from the race.
Wolf has the support of current York Mayor C. Kim Bracey, who is black, and other minority leaders in and around the York area and across the state. - The Morning Call, 5/16/14
McCord's attacks and accusations were also scolded by top Democrats in the state:
http://articles.philly.com/...
In recent weeks, top Democrats such as former Gov. Ed Rendell and U.S. Sen. Robert P. Casey have publicly labeled as unfair McCord's critique of Wolf's role in the 2001 York mayor's race. McCord has disagreed - while acknowledging that talking about race is not always popular or politically advantageous.
"People have an allergic reaction when you bring up race issues," he said Monday in a Drexel University debate, televised statewide. "At a very personal level, I understand this." But, McCord said, leaders should be able to confront racism without being accused of "playing the race card," a charge that cuts off debate.
"Listen, this isn't a game to me," McCord said. "I'm not playing a game here."
Wolf says he was instrumental in pushing Mayor Charlie Robertson to exit the 2001 primary race after Robertson was charged as an accessory to the slaying of an African American woman in the city's 1969 race riots. Robertson was acquitted.
"I stayed in the campaign for the two or three days it took to get him out of the race," Wolf said in the Drexel debate. "That was the sum total of my connection." - Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/16/14
And McCord's attacks really didn't spark a serious debate:
http://blog.pennlive.com/...
But McCord's attempt to paint Wolf as racist — or at least as someone who condones racism by not speaking out — seems a bit of a reach.
As Jon Geeting at PhillyMag.com points out, Wolf's tenure as president of a community group that tried to combat economic and social disintegration in York actually demonstrated his commitment to improving race-relations in the White Rose City
It's hard to know what McCord's ultimate goal was in highlighting Wolf's brief relationship with Robertson on both the stump and a 30-second scare advertisement .
As one-half of an interracial couple, McCord is surely attuned to the sensitivities of race relations. And he must know how difficult it is to have such conversations without passions quickly becoming enflamed.
I'd like to think he's sincere when he says he's just trying to highlight what he believes is a flaw in Wolf's resume and character.
And there is definitely a discussion worth having about how to improve race-relations in Pennsylvania, a state that remains one of the oldest and most culturally homogeneous in the nation.
And it's one that the next governor — whoever it is — should give serious consideration to initiating.
On the other hand, it's also hard not to be cynical and view McCord's criticisms as little more than late-campaign histrionics, intended to chip away at Wolf's support among black voters - particularly in Philadelphia, where the primary could be largely decided. - The Patriot-News, 5/14/14
Now Tom Corbett (R. PA) has shifted his focus onto Wolf and here's the route he chose to go with his attacks:
http://www.npr.org/...
The Republican incumbent, Gov. Tom Corbett, is using a populist attack against the challenger who is leading the Democratic primary field — accusing Tom Wolf of being an opportunistic businessman who profited at the expense of taxpayers and workers.
Corbett, who served as the state's attorney general before becoming governor, certainly is expecting to face Wolf. The governor's most recent campaign ad is a direct shot at the Democratic front-runner.
Wolf, who had little statewide name recognition when the race started, has spent copiously — most of the $14.5 million he has raised so far, according to the most recent financial reports. Much of that went to TV ads introducing him to voters. His ads featured the classic Jeep he uses as his daily ride.
Which explains why an anti-Wolf ad from Corbett's campaign includes a Jeep with "Wolf" on its license plate stalling out at a stoplight while a comparatively massive Dodge Ram pickup truck with a "Corbett" plate pulls away, a case of "my truck is bigger than yours" machismo.
The ad also jabs Wolf for once being the state's revenue director. In other words, he ran the department that collected the state's taxes. Expect that to be a recurring line from Corbett's campaign.
Corbett's campaign is also attacking Wolf for, well, acting like a capitalist.
Specifically, the governor's campaign has accused Wolf of benefiting financially from his company's incorporation in Wilmington, Del., where many companies incorporate because of its corporation-friendly laws. He has also accused Wolf of selling, then buying back his company, all to maximize his investment profits. - NPR, 5/16/14
Of course the fact checkers disproved Corbett's claims and it hasn't affected him in the polls. Now Corbett's trying to talk Democrats out of voting for Wolf which is a sign that Corbett is afraid if Wolf:
http://www.pottsmerc.com/...
Corbett’s campaign rolled out the corporate tax attack in the final weeks of the Democratic primary. Corbett does not have a primary challenger, but the incumbent doesn’t appear interested in keeping his powder dry for the fall.
“He should come clean by releasing his corporate tax returns to show that he has nothing to hide,” said Mike Barley, Corbett’s campaign manager, said of Wolf.
Wolf’s campaign says that’s not the case.
“If Tom Corbett is so concerned about the Delaware loophole, maybe he should stand up to his corporate special interest friends and close it,” said Mark Nicastre, Wolf’s campaign spokesman. “As Tom (Wolf) has said many times, he does not take advantage of the Delaware loophole, and he will fight to close it when he is governor.”
Republicans point to changes in the state tax code passed last year, claiming Corbett already closed the loophole.
Those changes gave the Department of Revenue more authority to audit firms that move assets into Delaware for the specific purpose of avoiding taxation, but Democrats will continue to argue for a different solution, called “combined reporting,” requiring businesses to report all assets and revenue from outside Pennsylvania.
Several states have imposed combined reporting, but the business community says it’s unnecessary and burdensome.
The governor’s attack has limits. Before his return to state politics in 2004, Corbett worked for four years as spokesman and counsel for a garbage company, which also is incorporated in Delaware.
The state GOP is also funding a mailing campaign aimed at registered Democrats accusing Wolf of dodging taxes and funding a television ad claiming taxes “went through the roof” during Wolf’s time as secretary of Revenue under Ed Rendell, even though the position has little to do with setting tax policy for the state.
“It’s a really unusual step to take and one that I’ve never seen done before,” said Terry Madonna, a pollster and professor of political science at Franklin and Marshall College. “They’re trying to make sure that the eventual nominee, if it’s Tom Wolf, comes out of the primary as a substantially weaker candidate to run against Tom Corbett.”
Madonna says the GOP attacks are a sign the Corbett campaign believes Wolf is the Dems’ best candidate. - The Mercury Politics, 5/19/14
And Corbett has plenty of reasons to be scared about losing this year:
http://www.nytimes.com/...
The governor, a direct, no-nonsense former attorney general, has not bounced back from an unpopular first year. Faced then with a $4 billion deficit, he honored a pledge not to raise taxes and presided over cuts that forced thousands of teacher layoffs and fewer services for the poor.
As he runs for re-election, he is widely seen as the most vulnerable incumbent governor in the country.
G. Terry Madonna, a political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College, pointed to a Franklin & Marshall poll conducted in January showing that most Pennsylvania voters do not believe Mr. Corbett cares about people like them.
“He’s been unable to explain in language that was clear and unmistakable and compassionate what he’s been trying to do,” Mr. Madonna said.
With four Democrats vying for the chance to challenge Mr. Corbett, his advisers say polls will begin to reverse themselves once a specific opponent emerges from the primary on May 20. The potential challengers have begun to do the governor’s work for him, aggressively attacking one another, and especially the front-runner, Tom Wolf.
But even those in Mr. Corbett’s party do not always sound convinced. Republicans in the State Senate, for example, still talk about the last time Mr. Corbett paid them a visit. The moment preceded a vote on school vouchers, which the governor favored, but which made many senators nervous because of the opposition of teachers’ unions.
The senators were hoping Mr. Corbett was prepared to take the political heat, and even visit their districts, if needed. Instead, they heard a stump speech about school choice — and the governor left without taking questions. He has not been invited back to address the senators since, more than two years ago.
“Sometimes I think he still thinks he’s attorney general,” said Senator Mike Folmer, a Republican who supports the governor but laments that his blunt style limits his appeal. “He doesn’t seem compassionate enough.” - New York Times, 5/10/14
Not to mention the series of statements regarding mandatory ultrasounds, marriage equality, Latinos and the unemployed being drug addicts highlighted his Tea Party stances making him look out of like former Senator Rick Santorum (R. PA). He also refused to expand Medicaid, supported privatizing the liquor industry and the state lottery and also pushed for voter suppression tactics in the form of voter ID laws. Plus there's his handling of the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State sexual molestations cases that made him look both corrupt and willing to do anything to advance his political career. So yeah, Corbett has some very serious baggage.
Also, Wolf used $10 million of his own money to fund his campaign but he has received some outside funding:
http://articles.philly.com/...
Corbett, widely described as one of the nation's most politically vulnerable incumbent governors, got $1.6 million from the Republican Governors Association on April 30, the records show.
The only other member of the seven-figure club in the 2014 election had been Tim Grumbacher, board chairman and former CEO of the Bon-Ton department store chain.
Grumbacher gave $1 million to Democrat Tom Wolf. (Wolf and Grumbacher are both from York County, and Wolf once served on Bon-Ton's board). - Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/12/14
In fact, Wolfs' been gaining endorsements from several papers:
http://www.post-gazette.com/...
Mr. Wolf’s experience in the revenue department, along with his perspective as a business owner, gives him a ground-level understanding of the state’s tax code. That is the foundation of his belief that reform is essential so that businesses are taxed in an even-handed manner that does not give undue advantage to some at the expense of others, so that property owners won’t continue to carry such a heavy load for funding public schools and so that drilling companies pay more for the benefits they are withdrawing from deep under Pennsylvania.
Although Mr. Wolf portrays himself as a different kind of politician, he has been politically involved for years as a generous campaign contributor, significantly to Mr. Rendell. Mr. Wolf’s decision to fund this primary race with $10 million from his own fortune is at odds with his view that campaign finance limits are necessary, but he is correct that he is playing by the rules as they are currently written.
Mr. Wolf values loyalty, a positive trait, but his criticism of the prosecution and guilty verdict against his longtime friend, former state Rep. Stephen Stetler, in the Bonusgate scandal may be misplaced.
As to the race-based attacks waged in this campaign by Mr. McCord against Mr. Wolf, it is clear that Mr. Wolf — based on his deeds and the words of others in his community — is no racist, and we question this tactic by Mr. McCord, especially because he accepted a $20,000 campaign donation from Mr. Wolf in 2008.
Like all of the Democrats in this campaign, Mr. Wolf’s view that Pennsylvania’s government liquor monopoly can be improved without being abolished is unsatisfactory, particularly given the public’s opinion — borne out by poll after poll — that it should get out of the alcohol business and let private enterprise compete. That position does not yet have the advocate it demands within the Democratic Party, yet Mr. Corbett so far has disappointed on this score as well.
Tom Wolf, the strongest candidate in the Democratic field, has the endorsement of the Post-Gazette for his party nomination for governor. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/10/14
And from prominent political figures past and present:
http://www.politicspa.com/...
Courtesy of Keystone Politics, we learned that Acting Governor Mark Singel is formally backing Tom Wolf.
“I personally believe Tom Wolf is uniquely equipped for that moment,” Singel said.
“The reason Tom Wolf has emerged as the clear frontrunner in this race is because of his demeanor. He has demonstrated class and courage and has shaken off the attacks with the dignity that you would expect of a good Governor. This man has earned my support, I’m endorsing him today, I’m voting for him, and I’m encouraging all my friends to as well.”
Singel took over the Governor’s mansion for six months in 1991 while Gov. Casey underwent organ transplant surgery. A Johnstown native, Singel’s support could aid Wolf in Southwestern PA.
The former Department of Revenue Secretary also picked up the support of some prominent state legislators from other critical areas of the state.
State Senator Vincent Hughes of Philadelphia, the dean of the Democratic caucus and ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, formally endorsed Wolf on Tuesday.
“In a difficult choice amongst many friends who have a long track record of public service, I believe Tom Wolf, with his unique background and experiences, will use his focus on education and job creation to level the playing field for working families,” Sen. Hughes stated. “Inaction is no longer an option and I believe Tom Wolf can lead us in the right direction. Finally, Tom has a thoughtful, refreshing approach, and after these past four years in Harrisburg, it is clearly needed.”
Lastly, Wolf scored the support of the 12-term state representative from Luzerne County, Phyllis Mundy.
“Tom Wolf has spent a lot of time in the northeast region and he has a deep understanding of the economic challenges we face. I worked with Tom when he was Revenue Secretary and I am confident he brings a broad set of ideas to help us grow,” Mundy said. - Politics PA, 5/12/14
And from rising Democratic stars in the state:
http://www.philly.com/...
Montgomery County Commission Chairman Josh Shapiro, a rising Democratic leader in southeast Pennsylvania, has endorsed Tom Wolf for governor in the May 20 primary.
In doing so, Shapiro bypassed two fellow residents of the county who also are seeking the nomination: state Treasurer Rob McCord and U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz. He made the endorsement in an email to supporters.
Shapiro said in an interview that he was not implying criticism of the other candidates, but simply believes that Wolf, a York businessman who was state revenue secretary, is “uniquely prepared” to follow through on the promise of reform in Harrisburg.
What's clear to me is that solutions to our pressing problems exist but without leaders who are truly committed to reform and can build a coalition around change, little gets done,” Shapiro wrote in his email. - Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/9/14
Not to mention Wolf secured the backing of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto (D. PA) and the Western PA delegation a few months ago:
http://www.post-gazette.com/...
At a news conference in the courtyard of the Allegheny County Courthouse, Downtown, members of the local Democratic hierarchy lauded Mr. Wolf's business record and described him as the party's best bet to oust Gov. Tom Corbett. While there may be debate on how much such endorsements do to influence rank-and-file voters, the event was an undeniable coup for the former state revenue secretary, giving him a show of institutional backing alongside the soaring poll numbers produced by his early advertising campaign.
The news conference was orchestrated by Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, who introduced the Wolf allies including Mr. Peduto; U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle of Forest Hills; state Sens. Jim Ferlo of Highland Park, Wayne Fontana of Brookline, Matt Smith of Mt. Lebanon and Jim Brewster of McKeesport; state Reps. Jake Wheatley of the Hill District, Ed Gainey of Lincoln-Lemington and Bill Kortz of Dravosburg; Nancy Mills, the county Democratic chair; and more than a score of local party officers. Also in the crowd were City Council members Daniel Lavelle and Corey O'Connor.
"What you see behind me is the leadership of Western Pennsylvania ... [joined] to back a man who shares Western Pennsylvania values,'' Mr. Doyle said. Pointing to Mr. Wolf's background as a businessman, he said, "His life experiences are tailor-made for Western Pennsylvania.'' - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/8/14
Securing big endorsements in Western PA could be the big factor that helps Wolf win today:
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/...
When it comes to primary voting for local and state elections Philadelphia gets a bad rap for not showing up.
“In Philadelphia County, we haven’t had a wonderful record for turnout,” says Kaplan.
Political Policy Expert Ellen Kaplan says only 16 percent of the electorate in Philadelphia County came to vote in 2010 and that’s when there was an open seat for Governor.
But how strongly to voters feel this time?
It’s a question that brought a lot apathy.
“A lot of people don’t think their opinions matter,” a voter said.
“With the lack of action in Harrisburg and Washington, people might be a little disillusioned with politics,” voter Ben Schwartz says.
Kaplan says that’s not so unusual, but potential voters need to realize how connected Harrisburg is to Philadelphia.
“Harrisburg controls our schools, Harrisburg controls the parking authority, Harrisburg controls the board who oversees Philadelphia’s budget,” says Kaplan.
And she’s hoping potential voters realize that quickly. - CBS Philly, 5/19/14
We shall see. If you need to find your polling place today, you can do so here:
https://www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us/...