Rivals line up in 7th District
Sean Gale, the brother of Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, has announced he is exploring a run for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th District.
The seat has been held by beleaguered Republican Pat Meehan since 2011, but Meehan announced Thursday night he will not seek re-election in light of the news that he used
taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim by a former staffer.
Gale, 26, a Republican from Plymouth Meeting, said in a release announcing the formation of an exploratory committee that residents of the 7th District deserve a representative who is “focused on the lives of the American people, not fixated on their own sex life.”
Aping language from President Donald Trump, Gale referred to Meehan as “scum from the Washington swamp and a hypocrite,” noting Meehan sat on the House Ethics Committee in charge of investigating sexual harassment claims before his removal from that committee Saturday.
“This, of course, is the same man who called for Donald Trump to drop his presidential bid when the ‘Access Hollywood’ tapes were released,” said Gale, a staunch Trump supporter. “Such two-faced grandstanding is the epitome of phoniness and self-righteousness.”
It was a sentiment shared at rallies urging Meehan to relinquish his seat Thursday outside Delco district offices.
Although he has never held political office, Gale previously chaired and managed his brother’s successful county commissioner campaign and orchestrated Republican Stan Casacio’s unsuccessful 2016 primary election challenge for the 7th District seat, according to the release.
Meehan handily beat back that challenge with 76 percent of the vote. But the district, which Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly won in the 2016 presidential election, may be a hard win for Republicans this time around for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the decision by state Supreme Court this week that Pennsylvania’s congressional boundaries violate the state constitution and need to be redrawn.
The 7th District, which includes most of Delaware County along with portions of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lancaster counties, has been described as “Goofy kicking Donald” for its odd shape and is considered one of the most gerrymandered in the country.
Gov. Tom Wolf and the state Legislature have until Feb. 15 to agree on a new map, or the matter will return to the Supreme Court. Depending on the shape of that map, Republicans may decide to cede the 7th District and shore up GOP support in neighboring districts.
Gale would join U.S. Navy veteran and longtime volunteer firefighter Joe Billie on the ballot for the Republican primary if he does jump into the race.
Democrat Shelly Chauncey, a former Central Intelligence Agency counter-intelligence officer, announced her candidacy for the 7th District Monday. The other Democrats looking to unseat Meehan are attorney Dan Muroff, bioengineer Molly Sheehan, Realtor Elizabeth Moro and information technology consultant Drew McGinty.
State Rep. Daylin Leach, D17th Dist., suspended his campaign for the 7th District following allegations that he either inappropriately touched women or made sexually charged jokes that left some feeling uncomfortable, but has not officially withdrawn from the race.