As '09 vote ends, 2010 campaign starts

AMID THE HUBBUB that surrounded yesterday's races for district attorney and city controller, the clear pop of the political starter's gun could be heard, signaling the start of the mad dash to the May 2010 primary election.

Seven candidates are seeking the open governor's seat and five people are vying to unseat U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, who is seeking a sixth six-year term.

Add in two high-profile races for open suburban congressional seats and it puts Pennsylvania in the national spotlight as a midterm referendum on President Obama's administration.

Governor

REPUBLICANS

Tom Corbett - State attorney general, is the front-runner. His investigation into the alleged use of tax dollars to pay state employees for campaign work brought Corbett a lot of attention. Now Harrisburg is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Will Corbett, who so far has indicted only Democrats, also come down on fellow Republicans?

Jim Gerlach - This four-term congressman from Chester County is challenging Corbett from a base with a substantial population of registered Republicans.

DEMOCRATS

Dan Onorato - Allegheny County's chief executive leads the Democratic field, but just barely since polls show many voters are undecided or unfamiliar with the candidates. Onorato has been picking up parts of Gov. Rendell's political team for his campaign.

Jack Wagner - The state's auditor general, also from Allegheny County, has been using his post to pummel Rendell on the handling of state contracts. Is Wagner setting himself up as the anti-Rendell in the primary?

Joe Hoeffel - This former congressman failed to unseat Specter in 2004 and now serves as a Montgomery County commissioner. He looks to position himself as the liberal candidate in the crowded field.

Tom Knox - The millionaire businessman from Philly, who came in second for mayor in the 2007 Democratic primary, is again willing to dip deep into his bank account to fund a campaign. How much will he spend? For now, Fort Knox isn't saying.

Chris Doherty - Scranton's mayor wants to tell the story of that city's economic rebirth. Is anyone out there listening?

U.S. Senate

DEMOCRATS

Arlen Specter - This political survivor ran hard to the right in the 2004 Republican primary, spending millions on television ads showing him at the White House with then-President George W. Bush. After squeaking by, he moved swiftly to the political middle. That trip keeps heading left. Specter is now a Democrat, having decided he would not survive another Republican primary.

Joe Sestak - This two-term congressman is seeking to paint Specter as a political opportunist who simply says whatever needs to be said to get re-elected.

Doris Smith-Ribner - A retired state Commonwealth Court judge, she is the only woman and lone African-American in the race and the only candidate besides Specter to win a statewide contest.

Bill Kortz - This two-term state representative from Allegheny County was the first to challenge Specter in the Democratic primary but now must find a way to raise his name recognition.

REPUBLICANS

Pat Toomey - This former congressman challenged the party establishment with a 2004 primary race against Specter, who narrowly avoided defeat. How will Toomey perform now with his party's support?

Peg Luksik - The pro-life leader is seen by many as a one-issue candidate, but she has spoken out on a variety of issues and she'll be attacking Toomey from the right, just as Toomey did Specter in 2004.

Suburban congressional races

7th District - Democrats state Rep. Bryan Lentz and government relations consultant E. Teresa Touey are seeking to claim Sestak's seat in the Delaware County district, as is Republican Pat Meehan, a former U.S. Attorney.

6th District - Democrats Doug Pike, a former Inquirer editorial writer, and Dr. Manan Trivedi are vying for Gerlach's seat in the western suburbs along with Republicans state Rep. Curt Schroder, Chester County Recorder of Deeds Ryan Costello and Phoenixville businessman Steven Welch.

Staff writer William Bender contributed to this report.