Races to Watch! (And Get Involved With!)
Here are a few of the Congressional races we’re interested in and involved with this year.
Melissa Hart (www.peoplewithhart.com), PA-4, is one of our own! Congresswoman Hart is a former state chairwoman of the PA College Republicans. She is also the first Republican woman to ever represent Pennsylvania at the federal level. She’s running to win back a seat that she lost to Democrat Jason Altmire in the rotten political climate of 2006. When she returns to the House she’ll be able to reclaim her seat on the all-powerful Ways and Means committee with seniority. The People With Hart campaign (terrific pun, huh?) is looking for interns. Any interested students can contact Alicia Collins at alicia@peoplewithhart.com or 724-779-4750
Jim Gerlach (www.jimgerlachforcongress.com), PA-6: Congressman Gerlach is a reliable thorn in the sides of those who have worked to make Philadelphia a Democratic stronghold. He’s very popular relative to his opponent - but his opponent ran the Philadelphia-area campaigns for John Kerry in 2004 and Bob Casey Jr. in 2006. The Gerlach campaign is currently engaging in a massive voter registration effort; if you’re in the Philly area they’d love the help!
Chris Hackett, PA-10 (www.chrishackettforcongress.com): The Washington Post’s Politics blog ranks this race as the GOP’s second-best chance nationwide to take a Congressional seat away from the Democrats! You can be sure that the opposition will be working aggressively there to keep that from happening.
Lou Barletta (www.loubarletta.com) (PA-11) burst onto the national scene in 2006 when, as mayor of the city of Hazleton, PA, he drafted and convinced the City Council to pass the Illegal Immigration Relief Act to combat some of the more immediate problems that illegal immigration often brings. Among other provisions, the act denies business permits to companies that employ illegals and fines landlords who rent to them. This race took on even more significance a few weeks ago when a video surfaced on YouTube of Barletta’s opponent, Congressman Paul Kanjorski, admitting to constituents that the Democrats deliberately misled voters in the 2006 elections, overselling their ability to end the Iraq war.
Toni Gilhooley (www.gilhooleyforcongress.com) (PA-18) is a twenty-five-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police - in 1973, she was part of only the second police academy class to accept women. As a former policewoman, securing our borders and enforcing immigration law is a top priority.
Contact us to find out how to get involved with any of these races! Be sure to check back frequently to find out about races for the State Senate and State House of representatives and our candidates for statewide office.