A look at the candidates for Court of Common Pleas in 2013

Posted on December 16, 2012 by

jc_500Two seats on the Chester County Court of Common Pleas will be up for election in 2013, and a number of candidates to take those seats have already made themselves known.

On the Republican side, four candidates are definitely in the race, while it remains unclear if a fifth will attempt to get on the ballot. Former county prothonotary Allison Bell Royer, who withdrew early on from the 2011 GOP primary for Common Pleas, is one person very likely to run. Also seeking the Republican nomination are Patrick Carmody, who sought the GOP nomination for District Attorney in 2011; Steven Voight, an attorney with the Reed Smith law firm in Philadelphia; and Jeff Sommer, a West Chester attorney who ran for Common Pleas in 2011 as well but failed to earn the GOP nomination.

Another candidate whose name has been mentioned as a possible candidate is Anthony Verwey, an attorney at Unruh Turner Burke & Frees in West Chester, but it remains less clear whether or not he will run.

Meanwhile, two Democrats have announced their intentions to run. One of them is Thomas Purl, a Downingtown attorney and former Philadelphia public defender who unsuccessfully ran on the Democratic ticket for Common Pleas in 2011. The other is Julia Malloy-Good, a special master in the county Family Court.

More after the jump, including ratings from the local bar association and some notes from a local candidate forum:

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Chesco Politics is Back!

Posted on December 15, 2012 by

It’s been eight months since anything was posted here on Chesco Politics. There are a number of reasons why that is the case, but I won’t get into them now. What’s important is that this website will now resume being your best source for news on local political news here in Chester County, starting today!

While all of the “sexy” races from 2012 are now in the books, 2013 will prove to be just as interesting in its own way. A number of judicial and row office races are beginning to take shape in Chester County, and if you’re looking for the latest, this is the place to look. The primary is only five months away, but there will be plenty of intrigue well before May as the petition process and the county conventions are right around the corner.

Look for a post this weekend about the races to fill two seats on the Chester County Court of Common Pleas, with much more in the weeks to come.

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

Posted on April 14, 2012 by

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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2012 fields set in Chester County elections as petition process ends

Posted on February 16, 2012 by

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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Senate candidate Welch reveals $1 million cash on hand

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

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

Posted on December 31, 2011 by

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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Daily Local: Republican to challenge Dinniman in 19th Senate district

Posted on December 31, 2011 by

E. Fallowfield Township Supervisor Chris Amentas (photo courtesy of Armstrong & Carosella, PC)

As per Eric Smith of the Daily Local News, the Chairman of the East Fallowfield Township Board of Supervisors has thrown his name into the hat for the Republican nomination to face incumbent Democratic state Senator Andy Dinniman in the fall.

Republican Chris Amentas, 36, will challenge incumbent Democrat Andy Dinniman, of West Whiteland. Thus far, no other Republicans have announced they will run for that seat. Dinniman has held the seat since 2006.

Amentas said he is running for office because he believes many people do not have confidence in the economy, their real-estate values or the job market and he wants to make fiscal responsibility a priority.

Amentas is a graduate of Boston College and Villanova Law. In addition to serving as a supervisor of East Fallowfield Township, he works at a law firm called Armstrong and Carosella, located near Route 202′s Matlack Street exit.

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