I had been wondering why state Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky, one of the bright new starts of the Democratic Party, had been silent on the key 5th District Congressional race.
It's not like she didn't have enough choices. At one point there were no fewer than 14 Democrats seeking the nomination to be the next representative from Delaware County in the U.S. Congress. Remember, the 5th is essentially replacing the old 7th District seat held by Republican Rep. Pat Meehan, who is not running for re-election.
I thought it was especially odd that Krueger-Braneky had not yet offered an endorsement of a candidate since the frontrunner, Mary Gay Scanlon, is the former president of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board. Krueger-Braneky lives in Swarthmore.
That suspense ended yesterday, when the state rep endorsed her fellow Swarthmorean.
"I know Mary Gay from her service on the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board and as a supporter of women running for public office," Krueger-Braneky said in a statement. "She has deep roots in Delaware County and throughout the newly formed 5th Congressional District, and offers the best chance for Democrats up and down the ticket to secure victory in November."
As a state rep, Krueger-Braneky has a vested interest in the November mid-terms. Pa. state reps run for office ever two years - and ever member of the House will be on the ballot in November.
Krueger-Braneky is facing a rematch in the 161st District race with Republican challenger Patti Rodgers-Morrisette.
In the meantime, the Democratic field in the 5th narrowed just a bit more.
Ashley Lunkenheimer, who was hot on Scanlon's heels at the Democratic nominating meeting a few weeks back, also picked up an endorsement, from the Mid-County Democrats. None of the Democratic candidates was able to garner enough support to win the party's endorsement, and right now Scanlon and Lunkenheimer are running one-two. But with a huge field of candidates, some pundits are wondering if the Delco field might so splinter the vote as to open the door to Rich Lazer, a former aide to Philly Mayor Jim Kenney, who has the backing of John Dougherty's powerful IBEW union.
If Lazer can't muster enough support, it's likely that either Scanlon or Lunkenheimer will win the primary, setting the state for a woman to join the Pa. Congressional delegation in what seems like the year of the woman. Republicans have nominated former county assistant D.A. and deputy state attorney general Pearl Kim.
The field also narrowed just a bit again yesterday. David Wertime, a journalist and entrepreneur from Lower Merion, bowed out of the race. But not before penning one of the best letters to the editor I've read in awhile. You can read it here.
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