Allentown mayor launches U.S. Senate bid in Montco

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski officially started his U.S. Senate campaign Friday at a Montgomery County union hall, saying that he would save and create middle-class jobs.

Contending he would bring "sanity back into Congress," Pawlowski became the second candidate to officially draw a bead on Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, already in the crosshairs of national Democratic leaders.

Pawlowski spoke to about 50 people at the Fort Washington office of the International Union of Operating Engineers, a group that represents 7,000 eastern Pennsylvania workers. He touted what he described as his success in revitalizing the state's third-largest city and said he would push to help fix the nation's aging infrastructure, adding jobs.

"This race really is about the dad who's looking for a job to provide for his family," he said. "It's about the mother who's spent years at a job but doesn't make as much money as the man sitting across the table."

But whether Pawlowski makes it onto the November 2016 ballot will depend on varying factors that include money, name recognition, and the plans of at least two other Democrats. One is Josh Shapiro, a Montgomery County commissioner whom Senate Democrats are courting in hopes of retaking the Senate.

The other is Delaware County's Joe Sestak, a former congressman and the only other declared candidate. Sestak has been out of favor with party leaders. In 2010, he ran against endorsed incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary before narrowly losing to Toomey.

Defeating Toomey this time around is no guarantee, political observers say.

Last year, Pawlowski entered the gubernatorial primary but bowed out quickly. He raised less than $400,000, and he told The Inquirer he had entered the race too late and left after "seeing the writing on the wall" that Tom Wolf was well ahead in the race.

"My goal is really to invest the time and raise as much money as possible," he said in an interview after his appearance Friday.

Christopher Borick, who directs the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, said Pawlowski was wise to start his campaign early if he wants to carve out a niche as an alternative to a better-known opponent, such as Shapiro. A former state representative, Shapiro would have to make a Senate campaign official by the fall if he wants to raise enough money, Borick said.

"Watching and waiting to see how things shape up isn't a bad move," Borick said of Shapiro. "As long as he's doing the behind-the-scenes work and we don't see a rush to resources behind the two declared candidates, he's got some time."

G. Terry Madonna, a political analyst and pollster with Franklin and Marshall College, said Toomey would be a formidable opponent. He's a conservative Republican but does not come across as an extremist to many voters.

"My humble opinion is that Toomey will be harder to beat than people think," he said. "But I'm surprised you're not asking me about a field of 10 [challengers]."

For Carl Baskin Jr., an ironworker from Reading, Pawlowski is the right candidate.

"I'm not sure we could find anybody else," he said after watching the mayor's speech. "He's looking out for the middle class. All we want to do is our jobs. We just want our fair share of the pie."