Leach weighs run vs. Meehan for Congress in the 7th
State Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17 of Lower Merion, known as a crusading liberal, is mulling a run against U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-7, of Chadds Ford next year because, he said, he is concerned democracy is in jeopardy.
The 7th Congressional District has been represented by Meehan since 2011. The district covers a majority of Delaware County and parts of Chester, Montgomery, Lancaster and Berks counties.
Five other Democrats have already filed papers to run against the four-term Republican in 2018.
In an appeal to supporters, Leach said, “(A )s the Trump administration has become more aggressive in attacking everything that America is supposed to stand for, and has descended into what can only be described as a bizarre miasma of absurdity ... I began to feel that our democracy was literally at stake.”
Since last November’s election, a number of Democrats and Progressives have been asking Leach to run, he said.
“I just feel like we are in a very dire situation and the times are called for us to do everything we can to try to preserve our basic values,” Leach said. “We have to stop pretending that Donald Trump and what is administration is doing is normal.”
He pointed to reports of Trump pressuring former FBI Director James Comey to jail reporters for publishing confidential information.
“I think we have to fight back his attempts to be authoritative,” Leach said of the president. “We need a congressman to fight back against that.”
He said his campaign is not a personal affront to the sitting congressman.
“My race isn’t against Pat Meehan as a person,” Leach said. “He’s a nice person. The fact is that the district is not supportive of what is happening now. Hillary Clinton won this district and that was when we could hope and pretend that Donald Trump was sane. Things have gone south rather dramatically since those more innocent times.”
Meehan’s camp did not respond to a request for comment.
Among the issues Leach said he’d want to confront would be the economic gap.
“The wealth and income gap is the largest it’s been in 100 years,” Leach said, as he added that the Trump administration has proposed benefit cuts to the poor and tax cuts for the rich.
He said he’d be committed to making it easier for people to live their lives through a variety of items from family leave to college tuition.
In 2014, Leach ran unsuccessfully for the 13th U.S. Congressional District race. He has served as a state senator since 2009 and was state representative for the 149th district for six years prior to that.
Meehan is former Delaware County district attorney and served as U.S. Attorney during the George W. Bush administration.
Leach said he is gathering information and plans to meet with his friends, family and closest advisors before making a final decision in early June.
“I’m not going to dawdle,” he said.