Two big names hang on in Pa. House races
HARRISBURG - Two beleaguered former state House speakers from opposite sides of the state hung on to their political careers Tuesday after beating back primary challenges in their home districts, according to unofficial results.
Republican Rep. John M. Perzel of Philadelphia won and Democratic Rep. Bill DeWeese of Greene County in southwestern Pennsylvania will now appear on the fall ballot.
In all, 203 seats in the House and 25 in the Senate were on the ballot in Tuesday's primary.
Perzel and DeWeese face corruption charges in separate cases stemming off of the state attorney general's Bonusgate investigation. Perzel is charged with using taxpayer-funded computer programs worth millions of dollars to benefit political campaigns. DeWeese is accused of using state-paid legislative staff for campaign-related tasks.
Both are fighting the charges.
"When you have names like Bill DeWeese and John M. Perzel doing all they can just to be able to appear on the ballot in the fall is testimony to how the mighty have fallen in the legislative ranks in Pennsylvania," said Chris Borick, a politics professor at Muhlenberg College.
"It tells a great deal about the current status of Pennsylvania politics - and the tumultuous nature of the last five years," Borick added, referring to events that have changed Harrisburg's political landscape, including Bonusgate and the 2005 pay raise.
Neither Perzel, who won by a 2-1 ration, nor DeWeese could be reached for comment last night.
Despite the sheer number of seats on the ballot, only 51 House districts and five Senate districts statewide featured contested primary races.
In the Philadelphia region, 19 House and Senate seats were contested.
Among the races that attracted the most attention: the showdown in the 182d House District between Rep. Babette Josephs (D., Phila.) and her Democratic opponent, 29-year-old Gregg Kravitz.
Josephs beat back the challenge, but the two generated headlines during the campaign over whether Kravitz is bisexual. He claimed he is. She claimed he is straight.
Another closely watched primary race was the three-way contest in the 190th District pitting Rep. Vanessa Lowry Brown and two candidates from big political families in Philadelphia: Sharif Street, son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street, and Audrey Blackwell Watson, daughter of the late U.S. Rep. Lucien Blackwell and stepdaughter of Philadelphia Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell.
Brown emerged as the winner, followed by Street and Watson.
In 192d District, longtime Democratic Rep. Louise Bishop, the most senior African American woman in the General Assembly, beat Will Mega, a onetime contestant on the reality TV show Big Brother.
Mega, from Philadelphia's Wynnefield section, was campaign manager for Rep. Kenyatta Johnson (D., Phila.) in 2008 and later was Johnson's chief of staff.
In the 26th District, Rep. Tim Hennessey (R., Chester) faced a tough primary challenge from Jonathan Jenkins, a former Marine and Marine reservist and member of the East Coventry zoning board. Hennessey was ahead in early returns.
And in the 180th District, Rep. Angel Cruz (D., Philadelphia) was in a heated battle for his seat with former Philadelphia police officer Jonathan Ramos. Cruz was head with almost all votes counted.
In Perzel's Northeast Philadelphia district, the longtime Republican had been challenged by Joseph Gaynor, a network-installation analyst for a computer-processing company.
At the opposite end of the state, DeWeese was facing a tough challenge from Greene County Commissioners Chairwoman Pam Snyder. Democrat Tony Brnusak was also running for the seat.
Yesterday's primary is the opening act for the fall election, in which control of the House will be at stake.
House Democrats now hold a 104-99 advantage, but Republicans see an opportunity to seize it back in November.
Few expect the 30-20 Republican edge in the Senate will be challenged this year.