Category: Congressional Race

A Public Opinion Strategies Poll of voters preferences in Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District showed the voters leaning towards the Republican 44 to 42 percent.

The poll was conducted Aug. 31-Sept. 1 but released Oct. 7 by GOP challenger Dee Adcock, a small business-owner. The seat has been held by very liberal Democrat Allyson Schwartz since 2005, who succeeded very liberal Democrat Joe Hoeffel who took office in 1999. Hoeffel beat Republican Jon Fox who won his seat from very liberal freshman Democrat Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky in 1994 after voters became enraged at her for casting the deciding vote on the 1993 budget that significantly raised taxes.

Before her, the seat had been held by Republicans since 1916.

According to the poll, support to re-elect Ms. Schwartz is at 41 percent while 37 percent say it is time for someone else. Adcock says, though, the poll indicates he moves ahead 40 percent-39 percent  after a brief introduction.

The poll surveyed 300 likely voters and has a margin of error of 5.66 percent in 95 out of 100 cases.

Ms. Schwartz managed the Elizabeth Blackwell Center, a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Philadelphia, from 1975-1988 before successfully running for state senate.

The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund, yesterday, endorsed incumbent Democrat Jason Altmire in Pennsylvania’s 4th District Congressional Race.

“As a member of Congress, Altmire has demonstrated his commitment to our Second Amendment rights by voting for legislation to restore self-defense rights in our nation’s capital, as well as signing the pro-gun congressional amicus brief to the Supreme Court supporting our individual right to keep and bear arms in the Heller case,” the NRA-PVF said. “Additionally, he cosponsored the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity amendment,which would provide a national standard for carrying concealed firearms, as well as legislation that would reform the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.  Altmire also signed a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder opposing re-enactment of the failed 1994 ban on semi-automatic firearms and ammunition magazines.  Most recently, he signed the pro-gun congressional amicus brief arguing that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that protects all Americans in the McDonald case”

Altmire, who like all Democrats voted for gun-grabbing Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker, is well ahead of GOP challenger Keith Rothfus  in the polls. Rothfus is an attorney who worked for the Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush,

Earlier this week, the NRA-PFV endorsed Democrat incumbent Chris Carney who is in a tight battle with Republican challenger Tom Marino.

The first independent poll of Pennsylvania’s 8th District congressional race shows incumbent Democrat Patrick Murphy down double-digits to former congressman Republican Mike Fitzpatrick who Murphy beat by 1,518 votes to take the seat in 2006.

The Philadelphia Daily News/Franklin & Marshall College poll shows Fitzpatrick up 49-35 percent among likely voters and 46-36 percent ahead among all those registered to vote.

Only 40 percent of registered voters say he deserves re-election while 47 percent say its time for a change.

President Obama won the district with 54 percent of the vote in 2008 but now has a 37-percent approval rating there.

The poll found that 18 percent of Democrats will vote for Fitzpatrick compared to 8 percent of Republicans voting for Murphy. The district has 14,000 more Democrats than Republicans.

The poll showed that Fitzpatrick leads among men 50-33 percent; women 48-38 percent; and independents 38-31 percent.

Murphy easily held the seat in 2008 with 57 percent of the vote over Republican Tom Manion and independent Tom Lingenfelter, who will not be on the ballot this year.

Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper, who represents Pennsylvania’s 3rd District in the northwest corner of the state, is down six points among likely voters to businessman Mike Kelly according to the most recent Franklin & Marshall College Poll.

Mrs. Dahlkemper was a member of the Stupak Seven, a group of ostensibly pro-life   Democrat members of congress led by Bart Stupak of Michigan who pledged not to vote for ObamaCare  unless the wording of the bill was changed to make it certain that it would provide for no funding of abortions. The wording was never changed but after much huffing and puffing and the promise of a meaningless executive order from the President, the seven voted for the bill anyway on March 21.

According to F&M, Mrs. Dahlkemper is down 44 to 38 percent among likely voters with 20 percent undecided and 42 to 38 percent among those registered to vote with 18 percent undecided. Just 38 percent of registered voters rate her job performance as excellent or good and 39 percent believe she deserves re-election while 47 percent think it’s time for a change.

Kelly leads in every county in the district except Erie.

Mrs. Dahlkember defeated six-term Congressman Phil English in 2008 to take the seat.

F&M also notes that registered voters in the 3rd District favor Republican Pat Toomey for senate 34-28 percent over Democrat Joe Sestak, and Republican Tom Corbett for governor 41 to 28 percent over Democrat Dan Onorato.

Only 36 percent of those in the district rate President Obama’s job performance as positive, while 30 percent rate Gov. Ed Rendell’s job performance as positive.

Things really bode ill for Democrats when cars start carrying signs for Haverford College and conservative Republican congressional candidates. The driver of this Chevy found Friday in the parking lot of Gentile’s Market in Newtown Square had no problem boasting of an upcoming vote for Pat Meehan in Pennsylvania’s 7th District nor of an affiliation with the highly respected but famously left-leaning school. The election is Nov. 2.

The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund has endorsed on-the-ropes incumbent Democrat Chris Carney in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District over Republican challenger Tom Marino, who is also a staunch defender of the 2nd Amendment and who, unlike Carney, has never voted for Nancy Pelosi to lead the House of Representatives.

The NRA-PVF cites as reasons for its endorsement Carney’s co-sponsorship of the National Right-to Carry Reciprocity amendment, support of reforms to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and a letter he wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder expressing his opposition to Holder’s plan to re-enact the failed 1994 ban on semi-automatic firearms and ammunition magazines.

“Chris Carney is a solid defender of the Second Amendment who will stand up for the rights of gun owners in Pennsylvania”, said Chris W. Cox, chairman of the NRA-PVF.

It’s a bit of good news for Carney whose advertising, along with that of Paul Kanjorski of the adjacent 11th District, has been triaged away by the Democrat Congressional Campaign  Committee.

President Obama gave a ringing endorsement, Thursday, to  Congressman Paul Kanjorski, the embattled long-term Democrat incumbent who represents Pennsylvania’s 11th District.

And of course, Kanjorski is keeping mum about it.

“I need you to support Paul Kanjorski for Congress,” the President said in a email blast.“You can make calls to voters in your area, and make sure they get to the polls. And you can spread the word about the importance of voting for Paul Kanjorski to your family, friends, and neighbors,”

Kanjorski campaign spokesman Ed Mitchell told the Wilkes Barre based Times Leader that his boss was “aware of the endorsement” and “welcomes the endorsement of anyone who shares the same values and principles.”

The campaign, however, did not put out a press release nor have they mentioned it on their website.
But Kanjorski’s campaign never sent out a press release advertising the endorsement, nor can any mention of the endorsement be found on Kanjorski’s campaign website .Mitchell later told Politco.Com that they have no intention of promoting it.

But thanks anyway, Mr. President, he added, albeit not in those words exactly.

Kanjorski is being challenged by popular and personable Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta.