Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
10 Republicans express interest in Meehan’s seat
Radnor woman who served as U.S. Assistant District Attorney is among GOP candidates
Ten Republicans have expressed interest in the seat held by U.S. Patrick Meehan, R-7, of Chadds Ford, including a female former U.S. Assistant District Attorney from Radnor.
The Delaware County Republican Party will host its Nominating Committee Monday night and anticipates nominating a candidate to run on the GOP ballot for the 7th Congressional District position. Meehan, who has held the seat for four terms, has decided not to seek re-election following a controversy that erupted Jan. 20 surrounding alleged sexual harassment that resulted in a taxpayer-funded payment to a former staff member while he was serving on the House Ethics Committee.
Among the Republicans seeking the seat are Clare Putnam Pozos, who served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for more than seven years. She had served in the District of Columbia before returning to the Philadelphia area, where she most recently served as a member of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit as she worked on the battle with opioids.
“I decided to run for Congress because I believe residents of the 7th District deserve a fresh, common sense leader with the energy and drive to help our community thrive and make sure that our families are safe and secure,” she said.
To run, she was required to step down from her federal prosecutor position.
“Stepping down from a job is never an easy decision, but I feel very strongly that our country needs forward-looking individuals to step up and provide the leadership and perspective we need on a number of important issues,” she said.
She spoke of how her professional experience qualifies her to be a representative.
“I have prosecuted international drug traffickers who flood our communities with dangerous drugs and fuel the opioid crisis in southeastern Pennsylvania,” Pozos said. “In Congress, I will support aggressive prosecution to stop the
spread of this poison while developing and extending treatment and recovery options for the victims of what has become a national epidemic.”
She also outlined her support for businesses.
“I will work tirelessly to encourage businesses to locate here, expand their operations and create new high-paying job opportunities for area residents,” she said. “I will also work to roll back job-killing laws and rules that make it harder for small businesses to succeed and compete effectively.”
The former prosecutor explained why she feels working at the U.S. congressional level would be the most effective.
“Federal, state, and local government are important partners, and close cooperation is essential to making the community safe and secure and to helping our area thrive,” she said. “I am running for Congress because I firmly believe that is where I will best serve the public in this partnership. My experience prosecuting criminals who illegally imported opioids from China over the dark web gave me valuable insight about the ways in which federal leadership is essential to tackling global problems that reach into our communities. The federal government is in the best position to help put an end to problems like these, and I look forward to being a leader in those efforts. Similarly, lower federal taxes make it possible for individuals to make a better living in the 7th District and for businesses to thrive. I think I am the best candidate to bring common sense and decency in dialogue back to D.C. and solve these problems.”
She also addressed running in a Republican seat where the incumbent GOP congressman has decided to not seek re-election because of his own controversy and in a district where voters broke a four-decade streak as they picked Democratic county candidates, largely because of discontent with the administration of President Donald Trump.
“There is a lot of partisan bickering and political grandstanding going on right now in Washington, D.C.,” Pozos said. “I grew up here and I know this community. We do not want that or need that. What we need in southeastern Pennsylvania is someone who will listen to us, represent us, and get things done. I do not have a personal agenda. If elected, this congressional office would not belong to me – it will always belong to the people of the 7th District. I will owe it to every single resident to be available to them, to hear their concerns, and to represent their best interests. I am ready for this task and would be honored to take it on.”
Born at Lankenau Hospital, where she now serves on the Board of Trustees of the Lankenau Medical Center Foundation, Pozos lives in Radnor with her husband, Antonio Miguel Pozos, a partner at the Philadelphia law firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath and their two children.
She is a graduate of the Agnes Irwin School in Radnor, Harvard College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Previous to becoming a federal prosecutor, Pozos had a clerkship with a federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and practiced law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
Other Republicans have already announced their campaigns including veteran and volunteer fire fighter Joe Billie from Aston, tax attorney Greg McCauley and Sean Gale, brother of Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, whose campaign may be impacted by the redrawing of the district lines as ordered by the state Supreme Court.
State Rep. Nick Miccarelli, R-162, of Ridley Park, and Upper Darby Police Supt. Michael Chitwood have also said they were mulling over possible runs.
The Democrats also have a full field with former CIA intelligence officer Shelly Chauncey, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Lunkenheimer, realtor Elizabeth Moro, former House Chief of Staff Dan Muroff, bioengineer Molly Sheehan and state Rep. Greg Vitali, D-166, of Haverford.