Politicos say that state Rep. Dwight Evans, a Philadelphia Democrat and the powerful chairman of House Appropriations, is quietly considering a run for the U.S. Senate next year.
Hours after talk show host Chris Matthews bowed out of the speculation Wednesday, Mary Isenhour, executive director of the Pennsylvania Democrats, was mentioning Evans as one of the party luminaries considering the race. It won't be easy to defeat five-term Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.), but the field of potential candidates is sure to grow.
"As of this moment, he is singularly focused on shepharding the state through this budget crisis," said Johnna Pro, spokeswoman for Evans.
Now there's a non-denial....
Evans, who has deep contacts throughout the state, has been a legislative leader for years. He ran in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in 1994, and twice was a candidate for mayor of Philadelphia, losing to John Street in 1999 and Michael Nutter in 2007.
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