FUCK | Dan Wofford not running in PA-6

[goobergunch]

Dan Wofford
Malvern, PA 19355

August 5, 2003

Dear Friends,

I am writing to let you know that after a great deal of thought and
conversation with family and friends, I have made the difficult decision not to run again for the 6th District Congressional seat.

The fact that public frustration with the Republican House Majority in Congress is growing, along with the federal deficit, makes this decision harder. I am convinced that its extreme, ideological approach is leading our country down the wrong track on so many fronts.

Given that conviction, I have weighed heavily the advantages I would have had in a second race: A large and loyal fundraising base, strong grass-roots support, and the credibility that last year's close hard-fought campaign established. The political competitor in me says that we could give the Republicans another run for their money and that the ingredients might just be present for the rare rematch victory against a first-term incumbent.

But since the end of last year's campaign, Sarah and I have been focused on our family's interests and particularly those of our two young sons, 11 year-old Ben and 8 year-old Andrew. Unfortunately, life does not stand still. I have both family responsibilities and new professional challenges in front of me right now. Running for public office was an exhilarating experience =96 one that changed and enriched me. But the process is also all-consuming and does not leave much time or space to be a good father or husband. That is where my priorities lie at this particular moment in our lives. Now is not the time to jump back into the fray as a candidate.

more...http://www.politicspa.com/FEATURES/080708Wofford.htm

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

Drop this one down to LEANS GOP...and it didn't help that I found this off the NRCC website...the DCCC website isn't very good.

ANYWAY...

D.C.'s Political Report lists St. Sen. Connie Williams as a possible candidate. Her Senatorial district includes:

Delaware County
Haverford Township
Radnor Township

Montgomery County
Bridgeport Borough
Conshohocken Borough
East Norriton Township
Lower Merion Township
Narberth Borough
Norristown Borough
Plymouth Township
Upper Merion Township
West Conshohocken Borough

http://www.pasenate.com/CWilliams/district%20information.htm

The areas in bold are also in PA-6...Plymouth Twp. is fully in the senatorial district but only partially in the Congressional district.

Montgomery County is the most Democratic county in the district...Norristown and Lower Merion are two of the most Democratic areas in the district. If she ran, hopefully a big base turnout would defeat Gerlach.

And if the Dems don't field a serious candidate (like they have been threatening to), then we probably won't get the House back in 2004...districts like this one are the type we need to win to get the House back.

[UrbScotty]

1. Oh well.

Let's do what we can to get Gerlach out, regardless of who the nominee is!

Just because Wofford isn't running, that doesn't mean we have no chance.

If we work at it, we could still win it.

[goobergunch]

2. Yeah

I just think that Wofford would have been easily the strongest nominee...and there are rumors that the idiots at the DCCC will give him a pass :(.

[enough]

3. Very sorry to hear this.

His surprisingly close loss to Gerlach was a source of personal sorrow to a lot of us who worked for him out here in the Chester County part of his district. I was looking forward to the next round.

Hope you are right that there are other good possibilites to run. Out here the Dems have so little clout that there are no viable people coming up to run for this kind of seat.

[goobergunch]

4. I live in Paoli...

my source for the Connie Williams thing was http://www.dcpoliticalreport.com/PA.htm , but I'm really not optimistic.

[mndemocrat_29]

5. I really wanted him to run also

I really thought he'd pull it out in the 2004 election. However, Bush's and Specter's reelections will drive up turnout from Democrats wanting to oust them, so this seat still remains a golden opportunity.

A couple of questions about St. Sen. Connie Williams:

Any idea how well she did in her last election?

Do you know if she is leaning for or against a run, or of any news articles about her?

[goobergunch]

7. I just got that from D.C.'s Political Report...

the Philadelphia Inquirer has said nothing on the topic. Therefore, I really don't know.

[NewJerseyDem]

8. Williams won narrowly

She got 29,284 to her opponent's 26,918. I don't know if that district is more conservative or more liberal than the congressional district though.

[jiacinto]

6. Let me say this

In time this seat will be ours. It may not happen for years, but it will be ours as the suburbs continue to leave the GOP.

[goobergunch]

11. I just worry that Gerlach will become an entrenched Repuke incumbent...

like Weldon (PA-7), Greenwood (PA-8), LoBiondo (NJ-2), Saxton (NJ-3), and Chris Smith (NJ-4). All of those incumbents hold Democratic-trending districts but are locally popular and get re-elected easily every two years.

[NewJerseyDem]

12. Is Greenwood running?

Doesn't he have a term limits pledge that expires in 2004? He will probably just break it like LoBiondo in New Jersey. That could potentially make him more vulnerable but people never seem to care about breaking those pledges.

[goobergunch]

13. He broke it (n/t)

[ButterflyBlood]

26. How far right is Gerlach though?

I know that all the NJ guys are at least fairly moderate, and Greenwood is a RINO absolutely loathed by the Freepers. I heard Greenwood's district actually has more Republicans than Democratics, but they're socially liberal Republicans like him and thus voted for Gore and probably for Rendell.

[LimpingLib]

28. He is pretty conservative.

You need to understand that Pennsylvania is a state that 15 years ago had many more Pro Life Democrats than Pro Life GOPers and many more Pro Choice GOPers than Democrats . Michigan , Illinois , Ohio (less so) , and Pennsylvania were like this. Pro lifers and Pro Choicers have been slowly switching partys in the states more in line with the national partys but its still a confusing situation .

There are districts that are nearly 3-1 GOP but still vote heavily for Gore . Hoeffels went 54%-42% for Gore in 2000 and after redistricting it became 54%-43% slighly worse in the Presidential vote but still even higher numbers of registered Republicans. Hoeffel beat a conservative from the 1994 class and that conservative was a fluke who only won in 94 and 96 by the most narrow margins. Hoeffel never won more than 52% or 53% of the vote. He was our best bet to hold the seat.

Greenwoods seat was more conservative than Hoeffels due mainly to conservative Democrats but it was redrawn to have more moderate Republicans. Still even the new district voted for Bush I think . (Its a district somewhat similar to the situation of Marge Roukema's seat from NJ ...not quite as GOP though).

Anyway Gerlach's seat has more Democrats than Republicans and even gave Gore and extremely narrow win (redrawn district the old district was much more Democratic though still Pro Life and Pro gun ).

The national GOP doesnt do so well in Pennsylvania but with local canidates tailor made for each individual district then the party does pretty good (the biggest weakness for the GOP has been nominating anti union canidates in Pennsylvania districts but redistricting has mostly sured that , but keep in mind Greenwoods and Hoeffels districts arent very pro Union they are very economicaly conservative). They have done real well lately especially with redistricting schemes but the GOP usually more than broke even in the congressional delegation even before that.

[goobergunch]

29. He's conservative, except on certain cultural/environmental issues

for example, he voted NO on ANWR. That's the only good vote that comes immediately to mind.

[genius]

9. It is possible to make posts without foul language. There are kids

in this forum.

[goobergunch]

10. And I am one of them.

:evilgrin:

Usually I don't use bad language, but this got me a bit ticked off.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

14. Dammit!

I worked for his campaign last year and I was hoping he would run again! I am really bummed. :( He would have made a great congressman.

[LynneSin]

15. I love Connie Williams

I met her at an Emily's List luncheon in 2001 (In fact that was the weekend I met my first met Ramsey). A bulk of the tables had an Emily's List member sitting at it and our member was Connie Williams. She's an absolute dear and I'll find a few bucks to contribute should she run.

But you're right, this is a tough loss for PA Dems

[LimpingLib]

16. Doubly Fucked as Hoeffel is throwing his (our!) seat away.

This is pretty bad news. The (extremely important) House is a disadvantage for us even when the GOP isnt running all over us on redistricting. Democratic areas are packed together around the country and the GOP leaning areas are more spread out. Pennsylvania in particular (where Gore never the less won by 5% with Nader getting about 3%)is a killer.

[mndemocrat_29]

17. Hoeffel's Seat is fairly Democratic

A Democrat shouldn't have much trouble winning here. Hoeffel had trouble with an issue (can't remember which right now), but this should be fairly safe.

[LimpingLib]

18. The issue was he had a moderate GOP opponent.

Which makes up over 50% of the district and is over twice the number of Democrats. Gore won 54% to 43% and any Democrat can beat a Pro Life conservative by at least that large of a margin. Problem is that the GOP can easily nominate and will nominate a canidate tailor made for the district.

This seat will at the very least have a small GOP advantage to it no matter the (hopefully) favorible election climate and other circumstances.

[LynneSin]

19. I suppose you haven't really checked out Hoeffel's seat since redistrict

Since they moved his whole region into a much more republican territory. Although I lived just across the street from the area, most of the shopping and socializing was done in that area. Hell my job was located right smack dab in the middle of it and I was contracted to work at a major Fortune 100 company that was pure republicanism through and through

That's PURE Republican territory and the repukes expanded it in a way to make it even MORE republican, eliminate Norristown and put in there a small section of Philadelphia that even republican in leaning (The Great Northeast of Philadelphia).

It's not democratic-safe, that area is republican leaning, they far outnumber the dems.

[mndemocrat_29]

22. Penn-13

The new district had Gore at 56 percent, Bush at 42.

[jiacinto]

21. Section 8 housing

It hurt him in NE Philadelphia.

[ButterflyBlood]

25. something to do with housing

Gore carried Hoeffel's district 55.8/44.2. We have a better chance of picking up Toomey's seat than of losing Hoeffel's.

[goobergunch]

20. PA-13 is a toss-up

Gore 56%
Bush 42%

Hoeffel 51%
Brown 47%

[displacedyankeedem]

23. Redistricting May Be On the Table via SCOTUS

Read

http://www.politicspa.com/FEATURES/uncorrected081303.htm

and with a sitting Democratic Governor we'd get a much better deal.

[PaDUer]

24. It was the

Democratic governor who said on national tv for Gore to concede.

[ButterflyBlood]

27. PA didn't have a Democratic governor in 2000

It was Tom Ridge, now Director of Homeland Security