Kenney beats
Boyle in rematch

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

The scene was the same as two years ago.
On Nov. 7, after the polls closed, state Rep. George Kenney (R-170th dist.) and his supporters gathered at the Sprinkler Fitters Local 692 union hall on McNulty Road.
Republican committee people handed returns from divisions across the district to campaign coordinator Rose Lynch, who punched the numbers into a computer.
By 9:30 p.m., Kenney had a verdict in his rematch with Democrat Brendan Boyle.
"We won again," he told supporters. "Let’s celebrate."
Boyle conceded to his supporters at about 10:15 during a gathering at the Philadelphia Quartett Club. The crowd included state Sen. Mike Stack and his father, the 58th Ward Democratic leader of the same name.
The challenger vowed to run again.
"I’m disappointed in the short term, but feel great about the long term," he said.
Kenney, first elected in 1984, defeated Boyle by a count of 10,648 to 9,035. That’s a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent.
In 2004, when turnout was higher because of the presidential election, Kenney won by about 4,000 votes with 58 percent of the vote.
Boyle immediately began planning another run after the ’04 loss. He was energized by the public outcry over the state legislature’s vote in July 2005 to raise its pay.
In February, Kenney toyed with retiring from the legislature, but House Speaker John Perzel (R-172nd dist.) convinced him to seek a 12th term.
Leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties agreed not to fund any candidate who used the pay raise issue against an incumbent.
Boyle, who received little assistance from the state party two years ago, raised his own money for the ’06 campaign. He was able to mail numerous pieces of literature and air cable television commercials.
Kenney, as he was in ’04, was well funded and had a powerful volunteer force on Election Day.
"George Kenney’s twelve for twelve because of each and every one of you," he told supporters.
Both candidates tried to link their opponents to unpopular figure in their parties.
One of Boyle’s mailers had Kenney pictured with President George W. Bush and U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum. The ad accused Kenney of voting with Bush and Santorum 97 percent of the time, even though state lawmakers don’t cast votes on federal issues.
One of Kenney’s pieces featured a picture of Mayor John Street and state Sen. Vince Fumo. It claimed Fumo, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, put Boyle on the staff of Sen. Stack after his 2004 loss.
The piece also linked Boyle to Street, who opposes a bill that would add police officers to Philadelphia streets. It suggested the mayor is targeting the Northeast for higher property taxes through a planned change in the reassessment formula.
The ad screamed, "Brendan Boyle is part of the Street-Fumo team. We don’t need John Street and Vince Fumo controlling our state representative! Say NO to Brendan Boyle!"
Boyle’s literature included a picture of him with Gov. Ed Rendell, who remains extremely popular in the district despite signing the unpopular pay raise. Kenney even included a picture of himself with Rendell, who endorsed Boyle.
In the end, anger over the pay raise and general discontent with Republicans were not enough for Boyle.
Kenney won in both the city and suburban parts of the district. His biggest numbers came in divisions in the 58th Ward near his Trevose Road home.
"There’s no place like Old Somerton," he said. "There’s no place like home."
Al Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, worked the 53rd Ward, 21st Division in Burholme for Kenney. He thinks the incumbent prevailed because of his hard work and service in office.
"People remembered George Kenney and went out of their way to vote for him," he said.
City Councilman Jack Kelly (R-at large), a Somerton resident who lives in the district, agreed with that assessment.
"George Kenney has been providing great service," he said, "and people repaid him today."
Boyle expected to do better in Rockledge but was satisfied with his showing in Parkwood, Lawndale and Abington.
The Democrat thanked his wife, brother, dad and friend Dan Lodise for their efforts on the campaign. He plans to take off for a couple of weeks before laying the groundwork for another race.
"Time is definitely on our side," he said.
Control of the House of Representatives remains in doubt. Republicans and Democrats appear to have each won 101 seats.
The GOP leads by 19 votes in a Chester County race, but election officials have to count absentee, provisional and military ballots. The party that ultimately wins that seat will likely control the House.
Some Democrats are hoping that Kenney will leave the House to take a job in the private sector midway through his term, but that might not happen if Perzel and Republicans need his seat to maintain control.
Boyle, of course, would like to be the Democratic candidate in a special election or in 2008, but some in the party might look elsewhere, arguing that he could not win even in a year that was not a good one for Republicans.
The challenger told his supporters that, "The Irish never quit."
"This is our seat," he said. "We’re going to win it next time."
Kenney believes he won because of the efforts of his staff over the years.
"We took our message to the neighborhoods we’ve serviced for twenty-two years," he said. ••
Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com