McCaffery exit gives Murphy boost in AG's race

Former Philadelphia prosecutor Dan McCaffery's exit from the three-way race to become the Democrats' Attorney General nominee will likely tip the scales in favor of one of his former opponents.

Patrick Murphy, a Bucks County congressman and military prosecutor, now emerges as the clear front-runner for the nod. He was the top vote getter at the Democrats' state convention earlier this month in State College, but failed to secure the two-thirds vote of delegates to get a party endorsement.

The hold-up? The 40 votes of Philadelphia delegates that broke for McCaffery under the direction of caucus leader U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D., Phila.).

"Now that Danny's out, I've got to be for Patrick," Brady said Wednesday. "I'm going to do whatever I can to get everybody together."

McCaffery, who lost to Seth Williams in the 2009 Democratic primary for Philadelphia District Attorney, cited "economic circumstances" and the "current configuration of this race" in his decision to bow out. He chose not to throw his weight behind Murphy or his remaining challenger, former Lackawanna County prosecutor Kathleen Kane. They will face-off in an April 24 primary.

Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed, who is running unopposed in the Republican race, is set to receive his party's endorsement at the GOP convention this weekend in Hershey.

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