Write-in candidate Broderick to seek Dem nomination in 167th

After no Democratic candidate made it onto the ballot in time for the primary, a write-in bid for the party’s nomination has emerged in the 167th state House district.

No Democrat filed the required amount of signatures to appear on the ballot for the April 24 primary, but the Chester County Democratic Committee had been working to find a write-in candidate since then, and they have now found their man. Rob Broderick, a communications specialist with the Pennsylvania State Education Association, will seek the nomination.

Broderick, whose name now appears on the county committee’s list of Democratic candidates for 2012, will have to garner at least 300 valid write-in votes in order to secure the nomination of his party. The seat has been held by Duane Milne, a political science professor at West Chester University, since 2007. Milne will face a primary challenge this month from fellow Republican Joe Corrigan of East Whiteland Township.

Broderick has been known to appear in the editorial section of the Daily Local News, and as recently as March he wrote a letter decrying the state’s new voter ID law. Broderick works for PSEA, the state’s teachers’ union, as spokesman for the association’s southern and mideastern areas.

The 167th district covers the Borough of Malvern, as well as the townships of East Pikeland, Charlestown, West Whiteland, East Whiteland, Willistown, and Easttown. The district has never been represented by a Democrat.

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New state House and Senate preliminary maps revealed

After being sent back to the drawing board following a historic state Supreme Court decision a few months ago, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission unveiled new preliminary maps today.

Based on the 2010 census, the maps are now out far too late to be used for the 2012 elections. They will not go into effect until the 2014 state elections.

As far as Chester County is concerned, there are several tidbits worth taking a deeper look at. For one, West Chester has been left intact in a single state House district, the 156th. Phoenixville, however, has been split up once again, between the 155th and the 157th. When the first round of maps were drawn, the fact that West Chester and Phoenixville were split between two districts was one of the reasons that led the state Supreme Court to throw the maps out. Now one has been left intact, but the other remains split.

The county is now divided between four Senate districts, unlike the current situation in which there are four major districts but two other Senate districts largely based in other counties cover a few townships in Chester County.

Also of big importance to the county is the addition of a new House seat, as was the case in the maps that were thrown out. The newly created 74th district covers the Route 30 corridor from Parkesburg through to Downingtown. Previously, the 45th district had been moved to that area in the maps that were thrown out. The 74th was chosen because its current representative, Bud George (D-Clearfield County), is retiring.

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2012 fields set in Chester County elections as petition process ends

Party operatives and campaign staffers descended upon Harrisburg earlier today to hand in petitions and get their candidates on the ballot.

Petitions to get on the ballot in 2012 were due for state Senate and House candidates on Thursday, meaning the field is now closed in all elections throughout the county for this year.

After the historic PA Supreme Court decision back in late January that threw out the new state legislative district maps, candidates were forced to regroup as the maps from 2001 are back in use.

Most notably in Chester County, this meant that the new 45th district, moved in from western PA to represent areas along the Route 30 corridor like Downingtown, Thorndale, and Coatesville, no longer exists. It’s back in the Pittsburgh area, which means that candidates like Caln Commissioner Josh Young and Downingtown Mayor Josh Maxwell had to rethink their plans. Some, like Maxwell, chose to run in an old district, while others, like Young, chose to wait for another year.

Also affected was the impending 19th Senate district primary battle, where former state Rep. Tom Houghton was to challenge incumbent Andy Dinniman. The return to the old districts meant that Houghton was no longer in the 19th, and he chose to end any campaign ambitions this time around.

After the break, I’ll round up all of the area races, from President to the state Senate and House.

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Downingtown mayor Maxwell joins crowded field in 45th

Downingtown mayor Josh Maxwell announced he would run for the newly created 45th state House district in front of a standing-room only crowd at Downingtown Borough Hall on Wednesday.

Maxwell, a Democrat, joins a field that already includes Caln Township Commissioner Josh Young as well as real estate project manager Barry Cassidy of Downingtown. On the Republican side, several candidates have entered the fray such as Young’s Caln Board of Commissioners counterpart Chuck Kramer, Downingtown State Constable Doug Castaldi, and Brandywine Health Foundation Chairman Harry Lewis, who was formerly the principal of Coatesville Area Senior High School.

The new seat is expected to trend Democratic, as it includes urban areas along the Route 30 corridor such as Downingtown, Coatesville, and Parkesburg. Its creation shored up area Republicans in exchange.

With such a crowded field on both sides, endorsements from each of the county party committees will be important. Neither has endorsed a candidate. The primary will be held on April 24th.

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Houghton to challenge Dinniman in Dem primary

In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, former state Rep. Tom Houghton has decided to challenge incumbent state senator Andy Dinniman (D-19th) in the Democratic primary.

Houghton had originally planned to take on state Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9th) in the fall, but his house was drawn out of Pileggi’s district during the state legislative redistricting process. His home municipality of London Grove now is a part of Dinniman’s 9th district.

From 2009-2011, Houghton represented the 13th state House district in Harrisburg. His territory included areas in western and southern Chester County, including Parkesburg, Atglen, Oxford, and West Grove. All of those areas are also now included in Dinniman’s 19th district, which is expected to trend Democratic. Pileggi’s 9th, however, has become more Republican, and that probably ruled out any chance of Houghton moving to a new home in the 9th to take on Pileggi.

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Senate candidate Welch reveals $1 million cash on hand

As the 2012 primary season gets underway tonight with the Iowa Caucus, another important Republican primary here in Pennsylvania is approaching fast. The GOP nominee to take on incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. in the fall will take place in late April, and one of the early frontrunners hails from here in Chester County.

That candidate, Malvern businessman Steve Welch, announced today an impressive war chest of $1 million in cash on hand. Most of that money has been loaned to the campaign by Welch himself.

Welch also revealed an impressive team of consultants and campaign directors, many of whom also worked on the successful campaigns of Republicans Pat Toomey and Tom Corbett in 2010.

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First responders advocate Rzucidlo to try again for House seat in 158th

Farmer and first responders advocate Susan Rzucidlo is once again running for the Democratic nomination to face state representative L. Chris Ross in the 158th district in 2012.

Rzucidlo, whose organization SPEAK Unlimited provides training and support for police officers, firefighters, and EMTs, took on Ross as the Democratic nominee in 2010 but was crushed by the popular Republican incumbent by a 64-36 margin. Even then, Rzucidlo promised she would return in 2012, and she is coming through on that promise.

Ross has served since 1997 when he replaced Joe Pitts, who vacated the seat in order to run for U.S. Congress, where he himself has served since. Previously, Ross served on the London Grove Township Board of Supervisors as chairman. In the state house, Ross is chairman of the urban affairs committee and he serves on the environmental resources and energy committee.

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