Decision time for voters Tuesday
No sooner than Hillary, Bernie, Donald, John and Ted finished up their latest round in New York, the eyes of the nation and the show known as picking an American president turn to Pennsylvania this Tuesday.
And, as scintillating as the top executive’s race may be, that’s not the only one we’ve got going here. In fact, the ballot’s full of races from U.S. Senate and House of Representatives down to state Senate, House and attorney general. And that’s just for the primary. There’s also a special election, in the 9th District state Senate, to fill the vacancy left by Dela-
ware County Court of Common Pleas Judge Dominic Pileggi. And, this seat will see an immediate fulfillment by whoever garners the most votes April 26. The seat will be contested again in the fall as Tuesday’s election serves as both a special and primary election.
Turnout for the primary is traditionally heavier during presidential elections, although one analyst says Democrats might not get as many out at the polls Tuesday as anticipated.
“I would be stunned if it would be reasonably heavy in both parties,” said G. Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College. He is also director of the college’s poll. “Republican turnout will be heavy.”
He said the Democrats may not be packing the polls.
“Clinton is very popular in the state,” Madonna said, recalling Bill Clinton’s sweep of Pennsylvania voters during his two elections as well as Hillary’s own 10-point difference here when she faced President Barack Obama in 2008.
The Franklin & Marshall poll released last week also has the former secretary of state ahead of the Vermont senator with 55 percent of Democrats giving allegiance to Hillary and 29 percent feeling the Bern. About 11 percent remain undecided.
In addition, there are other links in Clinton’s favor.
Her father, Hugh Ellsworth Rodham, was born in Scranton and played football for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Her daughter, Chelsea, married Marc Mezvinsky, son of former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies, D-13, of Montgomery County.
“They have deep connections here,” Madonna said of the Clintons. “This is a state … the demographics, the organizational efforts and the friendships and relationships are going to work for Hillary.”
Sanders’ appearance in the New York primary may influence voters here.
“We’ll see what that does to the enthusiasm of voters,” Madonna said. “I don’t think (Sanders is) quitting before the convention.”
Madonna, however,
pointed to the double-digit lead in the polls for both Clinton and Trump leading into Tuesday’s contest.
Trump, he said, has large appeal among the working class that has not recovered from the recession, as well as from millennials.
That presents two problems: Pennsylvania has the fourth oldest population in the country and with 100 colleges and universities in the commonwealth, it’s unclear how many will vote in Pennsylvania and how many will vote in their home states.
“I think it’s going to be fascinating,” Madonna said, adding that Cruz would do well in rural areas, while Trump will take the southeast and southwest portions of the state. “The battleground will be the Philly ‘burbs and Lehigh Valley.”
In the Franklin & Marshall poll, Trump captured 36 percent of the voters’ favor; John Kasich had 26 percent and Ted Cruz was the preferred candidate among 24 percent of voters. About one in six voters still had to make their decision for president.
The Keystone State anticipates some other major contests Tuesday, particularly for the Democratic ticket for U.S. Senator.
The incumbent, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., faces no opposition for the GOP endorsement. However, whoever wins the Democratic nod — Katie McGinty, former chief of staff for Gov. Tom Wolf; former Navy admiral and U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak; Braddock Mayor John Fetterman; or small business owner and political newcomer Joseph Vodvarka — will challenge the senator in the fall.
In the most recent Franklin & Marshall poll released this week, Sestak leads McGinty, with 33 percent of eligible voters leaning for Sestak while 27 percent said they’d choose McGinty. According to the same poll, about one in four voters remain undecided.
The race for state attorney general is hotly contested with presence from Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro in the lineup.
Shapiro, who is considered by some to be a rising Democratic political star, mulled previous campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate but instead chose to run for the state AG office. An Abington resident, he has a
J.D. from Georgetown University and has a solid background in politics from legislative assistant to former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, DMich., to state representative to his current county commissioner role.
He faces Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. and Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli for a place on the Democratic ballot for attorney general in the fall.
On the Republican side, another local, state Sen. John C. Rafferty Jr., R-44, of Lower Providence, Montgomery County, who’s serving his fourth term, will take on former federal prosecutor Joe Peters, who was involved in the conviction of “Little Nicky” Scarfo.
Regionally, there are various races for congressional seats as well.
In the 7th U.S. Congressional district that spans most of Delaware County and portions of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lancaster counties, U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-7, of Chadds Ford, who has held the seat for five years, faces Montgomery County businessman Stan Casacio for the Republican nomination, while St. Joseph’s University professor Mary Ellen Balchunis and Broad Street Ministries founder Bill Golderer duke it out for the Democratic endorsement.
The 6th Congressional district, encompassing Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lebanon counties, will be quiet this primary since 25-year-old Lindy Li who amassed more than $600,000, withdrew from the race following a challenge to her nominating petition. Li had initially started a Democratic congressional campaign in the 7th district but changed her focus to the 6th district where she lives. Her departure leaves Democrat Mike Parrish, a Willistown business executive, and U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, R-6, of West Goshen, to vie for the spot in the fall.
In stark contrast, the race is packed on both sides out in Bucks and Montgomery counties in the 8th U.S. Congressional District contest with three candidates jockeying for the Republican position and two fighting to appear as the Democrat’s sole contender.
The three Republicans who want the seat include Brian Fitzpatrick, former
Federal Bureau of Investigations special agent and brother of the man who holds the seat now, U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, R-8, of Langhorne, former Bucks County Commissioner Andy Warren and 30-year Bucks resident and neuropsychologist Marc Duome.
On the Democratic side, state Rep. Steven J. Santarsiero, D-31, of Bucks County faces off against Shaughnessy Naughton, scientist and small business owner.
Another race of contention is the 9th district state senate race, which faces a special and primary election simultaneously, due to the departure of Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Judge Dominic Pileggi. It spans parts of Chester and Delaware counties.
The primary in this race is uncontested. The special election, however, pits state Rep. Tom Killion, R-168, of Middletown against Nether Providence Democrat Marty Molloy.
Whoever wins this race April 26 will be forced to compete again in the general election in the fall.
How voters will select this candidate differs between the counties.
In Delaware County, voters will make their selections in two different electronic voting booths — one that features only the special election state senate candidates and another that holds all of the primary ballots from presidential down to state legislator.
In Chester County, paper is the rule of the day.
“We have paper ballots in Chester County,” Kara Rahn, director of Chester County Voter Services, explained. “We won’t have separate voting on this.”
Although she said officials there are anticipating higher voter turnout, they are always ready for all 350,000 registered voters to arrive.
“We prepare for 100 percent voter turnout for every election,” Rahn said. “We just prepare for 100 percent. The individual election boards are used to that. We recycle the ballots with whomever doesn’t show.”
She explained voters take the paper ballots to privacy booths, where they fill in the circle of their choice.
“We have little bubbles next to everybody’s names,” Rahn said.
There’s no hanging chads here. “No, no holes,” the director added, “just pens, good old pens and paper.”