Daylin Leach's uphill slog seeking another term in the state Senate just got a little steeper.
Leach, D-17, represents parts of Delco and Montgomery County along the Main Line.
He has been under fire - from his own party - after complaints of inappropriate touching and making sexually charged jokes were made against him. An independent investigation found his behavior to be "immature and unprofessional," but did not rise to the level of creating a hostile workplace and did not constitute a crime.
A woman also leveled of sexual assault against him, charges he has denied. He has filed two defamation suits over the charge.
Now he's in a fight for his political life.
And the attacks are coming from his own party.
If he wants another term in the state Senate, he will do so without the support of the region's two congresswomen. Both U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5 of Swarthmore, and Rep.Madeleine Dean, D-4 of Abington, this week threw their support behind one of his challengers, Amanda Cappelletti. Earlier this week Gov. Tom Wolf, who has called on Leach to step down, also endorsed Cappelletti.
The Montgomery County Democratic Committee is not making an endorsement in the race, while Dems here in Delco backed Cappelletti back in February.
IF all that was not enough, Leach yesterday announced he was closing his office to the public in the wake of the coronavirus. He will continue to provide constituent service.
He offered this statement:
“Like many of you, I have been very concerned about the increasing pervasiveness of the Coronavirus. To be clear, the large majority of cases appear to be mild and so far, the number of cases in our area is limited. In addition, there are a wide variety of projections as to how many people will ultimately be exposed to the virus and what percentage of those people will become seriously ill. However, the projections on the higher end are very concerning. Some epidemiologists have said that something approaching 100 million Americans could ultimately be exposed.
"This is not a reason for panic. But it is a reason to act prudently and proactively to address the situation.
"The scientists know the best ways to reduce the number of people exposed. They offer a number of suggestions, but virtually all of them involve reducing human contact. While the message from the experts on the importance of social distancing is consistent, there has not been clear guidance on some of the specific steps we should take. Should offices be open? Should concerts be cancelled? My son's school is open, my daughter's is not.
"Thus, it has been left to each of us to determine our course of action. The purpose of this statement is to announce mine.
"To be clear, I'm not a doctor or an epidemiologist. However, based on the briefings I've received from the PA Department of Health, the County Office of Public Health as well as data available from the CDC, the World Health Organization and others, I've come to some conclusions. My goal is to do all I can in a proactive, rather than a reactive way, to ensure the health and safety of my family, my staff, my constituents and the public at large. Here are the steps I am taking.
"First, effective at the end of work today, my Senate office will be closed. I am simply unable to assure that my staff, and the constituents, stakeholders and service personnel that come to my office won't be exposed to the virus.
"This doesn't mean we are unable to serve our constituents. If you call our office, your call will be re-routed to me or my staff, and we are available to help you in any way we can, including coming to a convenient location to meet with you one-on-one or in a small group. We will be answering calls, and addressing constituent needs as effectively and expeditiously as possible.
"So if you need something after today, please call. We will help you. But do not come to the office as nobody will be there. Emails will still be responded to as always.
"Secondly, we are cancelling all outreach and other events until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience. But I feel it would simply be irresponsible to bring large groups of people together at this time. These are the things that I can directly control. Beyond that, I do have some suggestions.
"Given the consequences of a worst-case-scenario, I believe the following:
"Those charged with making the relevant decisions should consider the importance of having a consistent policy on school closings. Having some schools open and some closed makes no sense, and only closing a school once there has been proven exposure is reactive and is likely to be ineffective.
"I suggest people consider avoiding public transportation for at least a while. Entering an enclosed space with an uncontrollable number of other passengers whose exposure risk is unknown seems inordinately risky.
"Some have suggested avoiding visits to nursing homes for a while. Seniors are our most vulnerable population and are at the greatest risk of having serious complications
"The steps we are taking are difficult and inconvenient to us and others. But we simply must do all we can to flatten the curve. If we have a full-blown, out-of-control pandemic, hospitals could be overwhelmed, essential services may no longer be available, our economy can be devastated, and many could get seriously ill.
"But if we take difficult but manageable steps now, we can hopefully avoid the worst outcome. And if in a few weeks we can look back and say we overreacted, that would be fine. To me, the bigger danger is in under-reacting. So, let’s all do all we can, and please stay safe.”
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