O’Brien’s sole opposition
had the write-in stuff

Campaign Bits
By Tom Waring

Pennsylvania House Speaker Dennis O’Brien will run unopposed in November for the fifth consecutive election cycle, but Democrats don’t seem willing to give him any more free passes.
In fact, a Morrell Park man ran a write-in campaign in the April 22 Democratic primary. Ed Kaiser, who has worked 16 years as a transit cop, received an estimated 415 votes. The minimum is 300 to win a place on the general election ballot.
Kaiser, though, had competition from O’Brien (R-169th dist.), who learned of the effort a week before the election.
The incumbent sent mailings to Democrats and had signs and workers at the polls. He emerged with an estimated 1,376 write-in votes to capture the Democratic nomination, meaning his name will appear twice on the ballot.
According to Kaiser, some voters didn’t appreciate Republican interference in a Democratic primary.
"A lot of people I met were kind of turned off by that," he said.
Kaiser, who has served for the last eight years as vice president of the local Fraternal Order of Transit Police Union, said he was spurred into action by a Times editorial wondering why not "one courageous soul" has challenged O’Brien since 1998.
"He was unchecked and, in my mind, a little complacent," said Kaiser, an unofficial committeeman in Ward 66A, 24th Division.
The editorial criticized the speaker for his vote against a measure that would have required people to report lost or stolen guns, another factor that led the SEPTA cop to enter the race. He had preliminary discussions with a couple of anti-gun groups.
Kaiser did best in his home ward and also took more than 100 votes in the 57th Ward. He said he also picked up some write-in votes in the Republican primary from GOP voters dissatisfied with O’Brien.
Independent and third-party candidates have until Aug. 1 to file to run in the general election.
If O’Brien remains unopposed, Kaiser indicated he would write-in his name again this November.
Kaiser expects Democrats to run a candidate against O’Brien in 2010. The party, he believes, would certainly target the seat if O’Brien were to run for governor or retire if he loses his post as speaker.
Shawn Dillon, Democratic leader of Ward 66A, believes O’Brien probably would have voted differently on the gun measure if he had an opponent.
"Competition’s good," he said.

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Brendan Boyle, the Democratic candidate in the 170th District, is calling for hearings by the House Education Committee to investigate the cut in college grant money.
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency has voted to cut some grants for college students for next school year.
Boyle wrote a letter to PHEAA president James Preston. It read, in part, "We need to make it easier for middle-class families to afford college. PHEAA’s plan will only make it harder for families to send their kids to college.
The families in my district in Northeast Philadelphia deserve better than this."

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John McDermott is collecting nominating petitions to run as the Constitution Party candidate in the 13th Congressional District. Earlier this year, McDermott filed to challenge state Rep. John Perzel (R-172nd dist.) in the primary, but a court ruled he didn’t have the minimum 300 valid signatures.
State law prohibits a candidate who sought an office in the primary from running for the seat in the general election, so McDermott turned his attention to the congressional race. He will face Democratic Rep. Allyson Schwartz and Republican Marina Kats.

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Bell’s Corner resident Marvin Barrish will interview political candidates and others on his weekly radio show on WNJC (1360 AM). The show airs Sundays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
John Farley, the Republican candidate in the 5th Senatorial District, will appear for the full hour this Sunday. Ruth Monaghan, of Visiting Physicians of the Delaware Valley, will be the guest on May 18.
Police Capt. Frank Bachmayer and officer Brian King will appear on May 25 to discuss an upcoming benefit for the family of Gary Skerski, the slain 15th Police District community relations officer. The event is set for June 21 at Cannstatter’s.
The June 1 show will include Kimberly Scott, of Companion Nursing Agency, from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli, the Democratic candidate for state attorney general, will be on from 6 to 6:30.
Scott will return on June 8 for the first half-hour, followed by Jim Kernaghan, the Republican candidate in the 195th Legislative District.
Frank Talent, a columnist for the Public Record and a retired court employee, will be the guest on June 15.
Marc Perry, the Republican candidate in the 7th Senatorial District, will appear on June 22.
Thomas Rolland, the GOP contender in the 194th Legislative District, will be interviewed on June 29.
Wally Zimolong, the Republican candidate in the 182nd Legislative District, will discuss his campaign on July 13.
Michael Livingston, the Republican challenger in the 2nd Congressional District, talks on July 20.
The telephone numbers to call in to the show are 1-856-227-1360 or 1-856-232-7077. The show can also be heard at www.wnjc1360.com

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David Oh, who lost out to fellow Republican Jack Kelly by 122 votes last year for the seventh and final at-large seat, is having a reception on Thursday, May 8, to retire his campaign debt.
The event, held at a restaurant in Chinatown, will feature Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, a Democrat who represents the 7th Councilmanic District.
Oh, who led Kelly on machine votes before losing on absentee ballots, intends to run in 2011. It is unclear if Kelly or fellow at-large Republican Councilman Frank Rizzo will seek re-election. ••