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PA-12: Mark Critz All But Sews Up Dem Nod

by: DavidNYC

Sat Mar 06, 2010 at 4:11 PM EST


From Roll Call:

Local Democratic officials Saturday picked Mark Critz, a former top aide to the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), as their preference to be their nominee for the special election to replace Murtha on May 18.

Critz defeated former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer (D) and other Democrats in Saturday's vote, and he is expected to be confirmed by statewide party officials later this month.

"The vote taken today is a non-binding recommendation," said T.J. Rooney, the state Democratic chairman. "That said, the members of the Executive Committee will certainly take these results under consideration this Monday when they decide our nominee. It should be noted that the final decision rests solely with the 50 members of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party Executive Committee ... We look forward to a spirited campaign confident that the good people of the 12th District will cast their votes for the Democratic nominee."

So not quite a done deal, but pretty close. The final tally was:

    Mark Critz: 47
    Barbara Hafer: 22
    Ed Cernic: 14
    Ryan Bucchianeri: 1

Hafer has said she'll seek the party's nomination for the November general election. The primary for that will be held the same day as the special (May 18), so we could wind up with a split - Critz winning the special but Hafer winning the G.E. nod. While that kind of thing does happen on occasion, it's not terribly common, and I hope it doesn't happen here, as I think that would make things more difficult for Dems in the fall.

UPDATE: Just what we needed! Hafer's team is already slinging mud against Critz.
DavidNYC :: PA-12: Mark Critz All But Sews Up Dem Nod
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PA-12: Mark Critz All But Sews Up Dem Nod | 54 comments
Ryan Bucchianeri
It sad to see Bucchianeri get only one vote; he seems like a very impressive guy.
Is Critz dirty?
Let's be honest here Jack Murtha was a hero on the battlefield, a fighter for his district, but he wasn't the most ethical guy in the world.  I am not opposed to earmarks btw, they should be judged on a case by case basis.  My question is whether Critz had a hand in any of the scandals surrounding Murtha, if he did some of the other candidates deserve serious consideration.

If Murtha hadn't been corrupt he would and should have been Majority Leader and we all know Steny Hoyer isn't a boy scout either.  

Please donate to amcharities.org to help build more after school centers in the Miami area.  

23, Democrat, IA-2

He was Murtha's righthand man
So I doubt he's a boy scout. Let's just hope Hafer doesn't go nuclear on him.
[ Parent ]
I dont think she should go nuclear, I think she should quit
She is embarrassing the party...the Post Gazette reports she got booed at the meeting today. Dividing the party for your own victory is just plain bad.

She is exactly the type of candidate that make voters angry at politicians and elections...things like switching parties (more than once) to help herself win, running for all kind of stuff all the time, mudslinging, those sneaky deals with her daughter she tried...etc.

If Democrats vote for her they are crazy...either that or they must want the seat to go to the Republicans. They should pick anyone, Buccaneri, Critz...anyone...but certainly NOT her.

 

[ Parent ]
Unfortunately, this one is going to get ugly
I agree that she needs to drop out. She seems a poor fit for this district and she's no spring chicken either (she turns 67 this year).  
[ Parent ]
Wish him luck in the special
Btw, this guy has an awesome name.  

21, Male, Gay, Dem, Born: AR-04 ;  Current Residence: FL-02
Mr. Critz seems like by far the best one to me
I doubt that he is dirty...it seems that Miss Hafer was really running scared and trying to slam him...and could not. I like that he isn't a name that you see over and over on any old election...but he seems to bring both a new voice AND enough knowledge to not be lost for the first year. People don't have time to wait for their representative to learn the names of their towns...they need them to start to work immediately. I will vote for Mr. Critz....no question in my mind.
Dissapointing
I hope he will make a good Congressman.  
Critz is going to have a very interesting time running 2 campaigns simultaneously:
one against a GOP guy (Russell or Burns) in the special, and
one against Hafer in the Dem primary.

Critz raised $100K so far (per that RollCall link)- not too bad in about 2 or 3 weeks.
I wonder if that money is for either election, or if his donations are for one race or the other.

PA 12th district
What are Hafer and Critz's position on a woman's right to choose?

Hafer is pro-choice

[ Parent ]
I would guess that's ...
not a popular position in this district ...
[ Parent ]
It isn't
Like most of Western PA, PA-12 is quite conservative on social issues, but has a heavy tilt towards labor.

22, Male, Democrat, PA-18.
[ Parent ]
So
Emily's List would hurt more than help here. Murtha too was pro-life.

My blog
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28, New Democrat, Female, TX-03 (hometown CA-26)
[ Parent ]
PA-12
If this district is so socially conservative, why did it vote for Al Gore and John Kerry, both of whom ran as 100% pro-choice?  Even President Obama only lost by a fraction of a point.  There's no reason we need to settle for an anti-choice candidate who's just going to side with Bart Stupak and hold health care reform hostage to anti-abortion fanaticism.
[ Parent ]
Indeed
"safety" is the name of the day.

I have a lot of nice things to say about John Murtha, but this guy--I worry.  

[ Parent ]
PA
I don't believe every single Pro-Life Democrat is beholden to Stupak.

29/D/Male/NY-01
[ Parent ]
Despite it being socially conservative
It still Democratic. Even though Obama lost by one point, I think alot of that can be contributed towards his races rather than his views.

22, Male, Democrat, PA-18.
[ Parent ]
Because not everyone votes on abortion alone.
Duh.
[ Parent ]
My
dad is a staunch social conservative and he ALWAYS votes and supports democrats. Plain and simply put people think about things besides abortion when voting.    

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
I'm confused
what happens if Hafer wins the primary and Critz the general election
Then Critz holds the seat
until the 2010 general election, and is succeeded by either Hafer or one of her general election opponents (i.e., a Republican, though I'm answering broadly to encompass all possible eventualities).

"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
--  Will Rogers  
[ Parent ]
so it's not that bad

I
find it odd that Critz doesn't have a website set up yet. Hafer has one, and it seems that he should get moving. Although in Indiana neither Ellsworth nor Coats have a Senate campaign website set up yet. I suppose it really doesn't matter, but I can find very little information on Critz and am curious to know more about him.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
Yeah he does
And so does Coats. When a campaign is new, the site does not start at the top of Google.
Critz-
http://www.critzforcongress.com/
Coats-
http://www.coatsforindiana.com/
Ellsworth-
http://www.ellsworthforindiana...
Ellsworth's is actually listed pretty high up, but the name it shows on Google is still for his Congressional campaign site. When you click it, it brings you to his senate site.  
[ Parent ]
thanks for the link
Critz's website says he's anti-choice.  I hope Hafer is willing to run a scorched earth campaign against him.  If she loses the primary I hope the Republican wins.  I will never again support a forced pregnancy Democrat.  
[ Parent ]
Oh Jesus
Here we go.

22, Male, Democrat, PA-18.
[ Parent ]
Comments like this
Are extremely unhelpful. If you think something is going to cause a derail, sitting back and saying, more or less, "pass the popcorn!" is only likely to increase the chances of a derail, not minimize them. Please don't do this in the future.
[ Parent ]
Lovely
You'd support a pro-life teabagger over a pro-life democrat? I am pro-choice, but honestly would you really want to lose a seat over it? Also I've actually heard that Hafer would be MORE moderate. I heard she was conservative on most economic issues.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
This debate -
Conservative Dem versus Republican - has rarely yielded fruitful discussions here or elsewhere. We went through these paroxysms repeatedly in the fall and they were seldom illuminating. They usually just lead to hostile derails. So I advise leaving this one alone.
[ Parent ]
Sorry I know better


Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
huh
what democrat forced you to get pregnant?

Libertarian secular Republican, MO-7
[ Parent ]
Wow

[ Parent ]
Don't
Stop now.
[ Parent ]
Don't worry, I won't

[ Parent ]
Not okay around these parts
Rooting for Republicans doesn't fly at SSP. There are plenty of places where you can do that - this isn't one of them.

And I'm going to advise everyone else to move on from this incipient derail.

[ Parent ]
Oh, jebus
Barbara Hafer is barely a Democrat herself, and she's rarely found a race she couldn't quit -- having previously suggested interest for PA-18 in 2006, then Santorum, then the Lt Gov race, quitting all three.
[ Parent ]
Wow
How did I miss those? Thanks!

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
I totally love
Ellsworth's google ad:

"Keep Evan Bayh's Seat Democratic The Senate Needs a Sheriff."

19, Male, Independent, CA-12

[ Parent ]
I have no problem with her running.
The only time we ever really get a choice is an open primary.  Otherwise it is usually hold your nose in case you end up knocking the apple cart and getting someone worse elected.

Also candidates shouldn't be given a free ride.  They should be pushed and prodded to make sure they are up to snuff.  To avoid the Coakley's with clay feet or overwelming senses of entitlement.

The party insiders want Critz who may very well be the best candidate.  If he has to prove it all the better.  That's the essense of democracy.  And I don't necessarily agree it has to hurtful.  Both Specter and Bennett have stood taller since they got opponents.  And even the weaselly Harold Ford help wake up Kirsten Gillibrand.

Now only if we could figure a way to merge Fisher and Brunner (a Fisher who is a better campaigner or a Brunner who is a better fundraiser).

While I hope Hafer tones down her attacks I see no reason why she has to stop running just because the party bosses preferred someone else.

NY-13, Democrat. Blog @ http://infinitefunction.wordpr...

?
That is the first time I've ever heard Brunner called a better fundraiser than Fisher. You must have them mixed up, although I personally think Fisher is the better fundraiser and campaigner.

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Sorry
just reread your comment and it makes sense. Although if Brunner was really a better campaigner then she would have fundraising to back it up with.

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
I Agree
What's wrong with a primary and letting the voters choose? I'm not implying that there's anything shady about Critz, but a lot of people aren't thrilled with a political process where nominees are slotted in by party elders on the basis of personal connections, be they office connections or family connections.
[ Parent ]
There's a big problem
When the other candidate will do nothing else but sling mud at the chosen candidate just to bloody him up for the GE so a Republican can waltz in and win the district. Thst's when I got a problem with this.

22, Male, Democrat, PA-18.
[ Parent ]
Well, That's a Common Feature of an Election
How many primary campaigns don't feature that? Unless you are assuming that her only goal is to move the seat into the other column, of course she's going to try to win - and usually trying to win includes "bloodying up" your opponent. It's not at all an unusual feature of primaries - as Pennsylvanians probably remember quite well from April 2008 - and it doesn't inevitably lead to the seat being lost.
[ Parent ]
That was different...
Obama was going to win this state regardless of what happened in the primary here, I never had any doubt this state was going to flip to McCain because Obama lost the primary here by 10 points. This is different. You got a bad year for Dems and we got a candidate who is probally trying to move the seat into the other column because Critz got picked instead of her so because of that she going to run a scorch earth campaign and I won't have any of that.

22, Male, Democrat, PA-18.
[ Parent ]
Well Your Faith in PA and Lack of Faith in Hafer Are Noted
But it was far from clear that PA would necessarily be Democratic in the Spring of 2008 - Bush almost beat Kerry there in '04 after all. And I don't know why you think Hafer is out to sink the Democrats if she can't win the seat. All I see is an "I want to win" mentality - something that most successful politicians exhibit.

As long as we have primaries many of them are going to get ugly. So should we just not have them in "purple" seats?

[ Parent ]
No
Only bitter Clinton supporters thought Obama wouldn't win PA.
[ Parent ]
Wait if democrats have a competitive primary
doesn't that mean that more democrats will show up at the polls (and  vote for Critz and not a republican)
If you assume that
people who don't vote for Critz in a primary would vote for him in a special election.
[ Parent ]
assuming Hafer doesn't go completely nuclear
they might
Just look at Hafer's website
It's got a lot of not-so-subtle jabs not just at Critz but at Murtha himself, almost to the point of seeming disrespectful in my opinion.
Website
Anyone else find it annoying that EVERYONE is copying Scott Brown now? On the letter on the front page of her website she says "Let's make the 12th district of Pennsylvania, the people's district."
Even in the race for mayor of Kenner, Louisiana the FORMER mayor that is running for the seat against someone whose grandpa held the seat many, many years ago and who has made his way into politics by himself said that it is not the Yenni seat but the people's seat. He said no one is entitled to it. So, thats why he's running again? Because all he talks about is when he was mayor, as if it is his seat.  
[ Parent ]
That's a lot of infighting

for a seat that probably won't exist after the 2012 elections.
PA-12: Mark Critz All But Sews Up Dem Nod | 54 comments

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