Swarthmore Getting New State Rep
By Bob Small
Besides the State wide elections, there were other elections on Primary Day. Some of these elections may actually be just as important to our day-to-day lives.
On May 17, for the first time in four election cycles , not one vote in Swarthmore was cast for Leanne Kruger-Braneky aka Leanne Kruger. The ballot was a matter of shock and dismay for those Swarthmoreans unaware that the last census had caused the Legislative Reapportionment Commission to move Swarthmore out of the 161st District into the 165th.
She was first elected in 2015 as Leanne Kruger-Braneky, but sometime over the past few terms the couple divorced and thus, she lost her hyphenated name. Though originally from New Jersey, she has been granted “unofficial Swarthmore citizenship. “ My experience is that she, or her office, knew what to do for what we call “constituent service”, helping anyone who needed to weave through the labyrinthine government bureaucracy, without it being dependent on “party” or any inside knowledge, which is the way it should be but normally isn’t. We will miss her for the example she set.
Leanne will be facing Ed Mongeluzzo in November for her new position.
He is focusing on outreach to veterans. According to his website and Facebook posts, his finances are almost nil. Hopefully, the GOP will realize he is running against a Democrat and provide support.
The replacement legislator, now that Swarthmore is the 165th, is Jennifer O’Mara. Jennifer comes from a blue collar background and has an inspiring backstory. She is both a graduate and an employee of the fabled University of Pennsylvania. Jennifer believes “there is more that unites us than divides us”.
As Chris Freind has pointed out, however, she has a free ride in November.
This would be the same free ride the Congressional Candidates in our congressional, 3, 13, and 14 have this November.
Wonder how that happened?
Hopefully, someone(s) from the Constitution, Green, or Libertarian Party or even an Independent candidate will get the requisite signatures to be on some of these ballots.
Otherwise, why waste the space on the ballot?
