Clinton-Obama race
highlights ballot

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Gov. Ed Rendell extended the filing deadline by two days because of the bad weather last week, but the lineup is set for the April 22 primary.
The most high-profile race on the ballot is the Democratic contest for president. The candidates are U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, and Barack Obama of Illinois.
The two are in a tight race for the nomination, with each having about the same number of delegates.
Besides choosing their favorite presidential candidate, voters will select delegates by congressional district. The delegates will attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August.
Here is a breakdown of delegates in each of the local congressional districts, including the candidates to whom they are committed:
• 1st district: Clinton: Alan Butkovitz, Lynne Abraham, Maria Quinones-Sanchez, Angel Cruz, John Street. Obama: Mark Cohen, Janet Ryder, Humberto Perez, Eileen Young-Vignola, Thaddeus Kirkland, Ruthellen Landau, Tony Payton.
• 2nd district: Clinton: Happy Fernandez, Jerry Jordan, Jerome Mondesire, Marian Tasco, Blondell Reynolds Brown, Michael Nutter, Cherelle Parker. Obama: Wilhelmina Moore, Cindy Bass, Vincent Hughes, Bernard Anderson, Molly Armour, Krista Nelson, Christopher Booth, Cheryl Mobley-Stimpson, Josh Uresky.
• 8th district: Clinton: Louise Boyd, Bonnie Chang, Gregory Holt, Pamela Janvey, Louis Farinella, Joseph Sellers, Helene Ratner. Obama: Sheldon Motley, Jules Mermelstein, Clare McCann, Neil Samuels, Ann Hadfield, Ann Crawford-Roberts, Kathy McQuarrie.
• 13th district: Clinton: Catherine Scott, Lorraine Bednarek, Karen Lloyd Borski, Ted Kirsch, Joseph Hoeffel, Caren Moskowitz, Pat Eiding. Obama: Jeffrey Fread, Lorraine Dennis, Ann Thornburg Weiss, Nathan Kleinman, Evelyn Sample Oates, Harold Berk, Analisa O’Connor.
On the Republican side, Arizona Sen. John McCain is expected to have the nomination wrapped up before the Pennsylvania primary. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas will also appear on the ballot.
GOP voters will choose members of the Republican State Committee and delegates to the Republican National Convention, to be held Sept. 1 to 4 in Saint Paul, Minn. The delegates run uncommitted to any candidate.
Statewide, voters will choose nominees for attorney general, auditor general and treasurer.
Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican, and Democratic challenger John Morganelli are unopposed. Auditor General Jack Wagner, a Democrat, awaits the winner of the Republican primary between Chet Beiler and Chris Walsh.
Tom Ellis is the only Republican candidate for treasurer. Four Democrats are running. They are Jennifer Mann, Dennis Morrison-Wesley, Rob McCord and John Cordisco.
The four Democrats who represent portions of the Northeast in the U.S. House of Representatives are running for re-election and are unopposed in the primary.
In the 1st district, Rep. Bob Brady will face Republican Mike Muhammad. In the 2nd district, Rep. Chaka Fattah will meet Republican Mike Livingston. In the 8th district, Rep. Patrick Murphy will take on the winner of the Republican primary between Tom Manion and Joe Montone. In the 13th district, Rep. Allyson Schwartz will be challenged by one of two Republicans, Marina Kats or Lee Falgoust.
Two local Democratic members of the Pennsylvania Senate are seeking another four years and are unopposed in the primary.
In the 3rd district, Sen. Shirley Kitchen has a general election match with Republican Robert S. Nix. In the 5th district, Sen. Mike Stack has a date in November with Republican John Farley.
The Northeast is represented by 11 members in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Speaker Dennis O’Brien (R-169th dist.) and Reps. Larry Curry (D-154th dist.), John Sabatina Jr. (D-174th dist.), Mark Cohen (D-202nd dist.) and Dwight Evans (D-203rd dist.) are unopposed in the primary and general elections.
Reps. John Perzel (R-172nd dist.) and Tony Payton (D-179th dist.), on the other hand, have challengers in the spring and fall.
Perzel squares off with John McDermott in the Republican primary. Rich Costello and Tim Kearney are battling for the Democratic nod.
Payton’s primary opponent is Guy Lewis, who has the endorsement of the local ward leaders. William Kennedy is the Republican candidate.
The November match-ups are set in four districts: Rep. Tom Murt (R-152nd dist.) vs. Democrat Lisa Romaniello; Democrat Brendan Boyle against Republican Matt Taubenberger in the 170th district; Rep. Mike McGeehan (D-173rd dist.) vs. Republican Belinda Nelson; and Rep. John Taylor (R-177th dist.) vs. Democrat Harry Enggasser. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com