Category: Election 2019

Superior Court Primary Fight Looming? — With the last-minute insertion and subsequent endorsement of Megan King into the Pennsylvania Superior Court race, a potential Republican primary battle looms.

Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is the intermediate appellate court for most matters in the state. The primary election is May 21.

Ms. King is a political neophyte. Her only public jobs have been as Chester County deputy district attorney (March 2015 to present), two stints as Lancaster County assistant district attorney, and state Supreme Court law clerk (1998-2001). All are unelected positions.

Anyway, the powers-that-be in the GOP drafted her after party choice Kate Harper was crushed in the state caucus straw polls losing handily to   Cumberland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christylee Peck and former Montour County District Attorney Rebecca Warren.

On Saturday, she along with straw poll winner Peck were endorsed by the GOP State Committee. GOP politics just repeats itself over and over in this state. We’ll let someone else point out the Groundhog Day irony.

The suspicion is that Ms. King will be a good girl and do as she is told by special interests — that’s you Stradley Ronon.  Why else would Ms. Warren, who finished a solid second in the straw poll, be pushed out? Why else would state representatives and congressmen and Matt Brouillette twist arms hard for Ms. King?

Could it be that they fear Ms. Warren would not be a good girl?

Anyway, a little birdie told us that Ms. Warren was given the opportunity to address the committee after the vote on the condition she not enter the primary. She declined. She was reportedly overheard to say “I guess we will have to see what happens in May.”

Superior Court Primary Fight Looming?

GOP Establishment Endorses Novice For Superior Court — Playing games as they play games, the Pennsylvania Republican Party twisted enough arms this morning (Feb 2) to get a a woman of little experience endorsed for state Superior Court in the May 21 primary.

Megan King, a Chester County deputy district attorney — note that’s DEPUTY district attorney — was a last minute replacement for establishment favorite former state rep Kate Harper who dropped out after being overwhelmingly rejected in the caucus straw polls.

Ms. King had been considering a run for county Common Pleas Court until a panicked establishment drafted her for the state post. She has never held elected office.

Also getting endorsed by the State Committee was  Cumberland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christylee Peck, who was the top vote-getter in the straw polls.

Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is theintermediate appellate court for most matters in the state.

Not getting the endorsement was much admired, woman-of-the-people Rebecca Warren, a highly regarded former Montour County District Attorney. 

Ms. Warren had finished second in the straw polls.

We will note that endorsements aren’t the final say and encourage all Republicans to vote for Ms. Peck and Ms. Warren in May.

This morning’s committee vote was reportedly 261 for Peck; 223 for King; and 131 for Warren.

GOP Establishment Novice Endorsed For Superior Court

GOP Legislators Twisting Arms For Establishment Endorsements — A little birdie told us that Republican state legislators are calling members of the GOP State Committee — you all know who your state committee person is right? — to pressure them into backing establishment tools Megan King and Kate Harper for State Superior Court.

Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is theintermediate appellate court for most matters in the state.

Ms. King and Ms. Harper were overwhelmingly rejected in the caucus straw polls in favor of Christylee Peck and Rebecca Warren.

The primary election is May 21.

The committee’s endorsement meeting is 10 a.m., Saturday. It will be streamed live on PCNTV. It has not been ascertained if the ballots will be secret or open. Contact your State Committee person — you can find them here, just click on the county — and let them know you’ll be watching.

Unless you like being a serf, your choice should be Christylee Peck and Rebecca Warren.

GOP Legislators Twisting Arms For Establishment Endorsements

Megan King Superior Court Spoiler?— Pennsylvania’s Republican caucus have held their straw polls concerning this year’s state Superior Court race and the final tally is Christylee Peck, 185; Rebecca Warren, 167 and establishment pick Kate Harper, 130.

Oh wait, there is a fourth candidate, Megan King. She entered at the last minute. She got 13 votes. Ms. King is a Chester County deputy district attorney who had been considering a run for county Common Pleas Court.

What made her change her mind? Some are saying it was Ms. Harper’s very poor performance in the straw polls. She came in third and more than half her votes came from the Southeast Caucus. Some are saying that Val DiGiorgio, the state GOP chairman who had been Chesco boss until last month, whispered in Ms. King’s ear to do him a solid in the hope she will siphon off enough votes from one of the others to get Ms. Harper an endorsement when the official ones are made on Feb. 2.

Kate Harper, who represented the 61st Legislative District in the State House for 18 years until her defeat last fall by Liz Hanbidge, is a special-interest connected party loyalist.

The primary election is May 21.

Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is the intermediate appellate court for most matters in the state.

Megan King Superior Court Spoiler?

Rebecca Warren Choice Of Southwest Caucus — Lois Kaneshiki informs us that our gal Rebecca Warren is the pick of the Republican Party Southwest Caucus as to who the party should endorse for Superior Court this primary.

The tally was Ms. Warren, 49, Christylee Peck 44 and Montco-connected Kate Harper 9.

On Jan. 9, the Southeast Caucus tally was Kate. Harper. 79; Chistylee Peck. 49; and Rebecca Warren, 13.

Pennsylvania Superior Court  is intermediate appellate court for most things.

Update: Lois has let us know that Ms. Warren has also been picked by the Northwest Caucus:
Warren 33
Peck 28
Harper 2

Rebecca Warren Choice Of Southwest Caucus