Primary election candidates gather support
Key dates for primary election
Former state Sen. Connie Williams has endorsed Democrat Ashley Lunkenheimer for the 5th Congressional District, according to a release from Lunkenheimer’s campaign.
“I’ve known Ashley Lunkenheimer since she was in high school and am delighted that she has decided to run for Congress,” Williams said in the release. “Ashley has the ability, the energy, the intelligence, and the experience to be an exceptional representative for the citizens of the 5th Congressional District, and for the portion of Montgomery County and Lower Merion where I live.”
The 5th District includes all of Delaware County, as well as south Philadelphia and a sliver of Montgomery County.
Williams, a Democrat who served in the state’s 17th Senatorial District from 2001 to 2008, noted that Lunkenheimer has seen firsthand the impact that a lack of economic opportunity, availability of drugs and epidemic of gun violence has on communities as a former federal prosecutor.
“More recently, her experience
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at AmeriHealth Caritas has given her a broad understanding of the importance of Medicaid for thousands of Pennsylvanians,” said Williams. “We need more women in Congress, and we especially need young mothers like Ashley – strong, smart, determined. I hope that the Montgomery County and Delaware County Democratic committees will endorse her candidacy.”
Lunkenheimer faces a crowded field for the nomination in the May 15 primary election. Other Democrats running include public school teacher Larry Arata of Haverford; Philadelphia former Deputy Mayor of Labor Rich Lazer; attorney Mary Gay Scanlon, of Swarthmore; former Morgan Stanley wealth manager Lindy Li, of Malvern; attorney Dan Muroff, of Media; scientist Dr. Molly Sheehan, of South Philadelphia; former CIA officer Shelly Chauncey, of Glen Mills; Chester Democratic Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland; entrepreneur and journalist David Wertine, of Haverford; attorney and consultant Dan Boyle; political science professor Mary Ellen Balchunis, of Ardmore; and George Badey, chairman of Radnor Township’s Democratic Committee.
Republicans seeking the seat are U.S. Navy veteran and volunteer firefighter Joe Billie, of Aston; attorney Jeremy H. Gonzalez Ibrahim, of Chester County; former state Attorney General Senior Deputy Counsel Pearl Kim, of Radnor; tax attorney Greg McCauley, of Chadds Ford; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Putnam Pozos, of Radnor; Haverford developer Wally Smerconish; and Radnor Commissioner Richard Booker.
The Ridley Park Democratic Committee has also endorsed Dave Delloso for Pennsylvania’s 162nd Legislative District.
Delloso, president of Local 312 International Brotherhood of Teamsters, is the only Democrat taking on embattled incumbent Republican state Rep. Nick Miccarelli for the seat. Miccarelli has been accused of rape and harassment by two women in ongoing investigations launched last month by the state House and Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo. He has denied the allegations.
“Since he was first elected president of the Teamsters Local 312 in 2008, Dave has been an enthusiastic supporter of the men and women who elected him to serve,” said Ridley Park Democratic Committee Chair Jeannie Frantz in a release. “From his eight years in the United State Marine Corps Reserve, he knows what it means to put his fellow citizens first. He also knows what it takes to bring opposing sides to the table to effect real change, whether it’s negotiating a contract, or challenging legislators to tackle tough issues.”
Delloso expressed appreciation for the support and said he has fought all his life for the under-represented.
“I think every family in the 162nd deserves to be able to give their kids—at the very least—a better life than they’ve had,” he said in the release. “As their representative, I will help the district gain more access to commonwealth funds, deliver a fair formula for funding our schools, be open to anything that eases the burden on our seniors, and bring good jobs to the County, from good employers who are prepared to pay a livable wage and provide benefits to the people of the 162nd.”
The Delaware County Libertarian Committee has meanwhile endorsed W. David Medina, Ph.D, for the 162nd seat.
Medina, the owner of Medina Kenpo Karate in Springfield, works with special needs children and families at the Kinney Center of Saint Joseph’s University and the karate school, which focuses on children and adults on the Autism spectrum, Asperger’s and Sensory Differences.
Medina, an 8th Degree Grand Master Black Belt, has been inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame four times, holds a BBA in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of “Grandmaster Frank Trejo.”
He is also a former marketing executive for Lord and Taylor and has been featured in numerous print and broadcast outlets, including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, CNN, USA Today, and Fortune.