U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach‘s withdrawal from the Republican race for governor leaves Attorney General Tom Corbett as the clear front runner for the GOP nomination.

Corbett had been favored even when Gerlach was still in the mix. Now the GOP field is down to Corbett and state Rep. Samuel Rohrer, R-Berks County.

Gerlach is a congressman from the Philadelphia suburbs. No immediate word on whether he will seek re-election to his congressional seat.

– John Guerriero

Erie Times-News court reporter Lisa Thompson posts this epilogue about Judge Stephanie Domitrovich’s campaign for retention:
The money that first poured into Erie County Judge Stephanie Domitrovich’s retention campaign slowed to a trickle in the final weeks just before and after the Nov. 3 election, according to a campaign finance statement newly filed by the judge.

Between Sept. 15 and Oct. 19, Domitrovich raised $100,505, with $65,100 of that money being a loan from Domitrovich’s husband, Ronald Susmarski, a lawyer.

She used $65,000 to hire local advertising agency Rambaldo Gonda Media to mount an advertising blitz to reach the voters, who returned her to the bench for a third 10-year term with a convincing 71 percent of the vote.
In the last days of the campaign and the days following the election — between Oct. 20 and Nov. 23 — the fundraising dialed back with donors making just $3,795 in contributions, the newly filed report shows.
During that period, Domitrovich spent just over $10,000 on items including signs, printing, and a $3,055.74 fund-raiser reception on Oct. 27 at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 2800 W. Eighth St., the report states.
Domitrovich’s highly visible retention campaign contrasted sharply with those of her colleagues, Erie County President Judge Elizabeth K. Kelly and Judge Michael E. Dunlavey, who raised no money and did not campaign for their retention.
Domitrovich’s push came against the backdrop of an unusually unfavorable review by some of her peers in the Erie County Bar Association.
But Domitrovich said she campaigned for voters, not because of anything lawyers had said about her.
“I have the responsibility to prove to them that I am the best judge they could possibly have,” she said in an interview.

– Lisa Thompson

U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, of Erie, D-3rd Dist., today delivered a one-minute statement on the House floor calling for health-care reform to bring relief to small businesses.

The statement included a story about a local Erie business, which was not named.

Provided by Dahlkemper’s office, here is the text of her statement:

“Today, I heard from one of my constituents who owns a small business, a printing company in northwest Pennsylvania. This small business owner received notification that health care premiums for his business are increasing by 51.1% this year. That dwarfs the 14% increase of last year, and 20% increase from the previous year.

“Any one who has ever worked in a small business knows that these costs are unsustainable. This small-business owner told me that his business’ new family rate will be in excess of $1,700 per month.

“He wrote, ‘I don’t know what can be done, but it is small businesses like mine that cannot afford these increases.’

“(Madam) Speaker, we must not allow our small businesses to suffer so unnecessarily when something can be done.

“There is a clear and urgent need to pass health-care reform legislation, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to embrace reform that will help small businesses.”

– John Guerriero

Security will be tight for former President George W. Bush’s speech in Erie during the 104th annual event of the Manufacturer & Business Association.

The speech at the Bayfront Convention Center is June 17. If you don’t have a ticket, forget it. The event sold out quickly.

More than 1,500 people will attend, including guest Joe Paterno, Penn State’s football coach.

– John Guerriero

Rubye Jenkins-Husband, photographed in January, 2008.

My colleague Erica Erwin reported yesterday that Erie City Councilwoman Jessica Horan-Kunco has decided against taking on fellow Democrat and incumbent Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott in the May 19 municipal primary.
Her decision leaves us wondering about longtime City Councilwoman Rubye Jenkins-Husband’s plans. Jenkins-Husband has been rumored for months as a possible Sinnott challenger for the Democratic nomination in the primary.
Could we have an announcement soon from Jenkins-Husband about her plans?
We’re keeping our journalistic ears to the ground and will check with Jenkins-Husband. Expect stories and more posts on this subject very soon.
–Kevin Flowers

McCain ended the speech at about 11:15 a.m., after saying that he would return to Pennsylvania again before the campaign was over, as it is a hotly contested battleground state.
McCain then began shaking hands with the crowd.
– Cody Switzer

A woman in the audience asked McCain how he would spend his first 90 days in office.
“I would call Tom Ridge from whatever vacation he is on and bring him down to Washington,” McCain joked.
He said his first serious objective would be to find threats to America and address them, saying that a presidents first responsibility is keeping the nation safe. As an example of the “dangerous world” that we live in, McCain sited the current Georgian conflict with Russia.
McCain went on to say that he needed to restore faith in the government, citing the fact that congress only has a 9 percent approval rating.
“You are down to paid employees and blood relatives then,” he said.

The next question from the audience was about natural gas reserves and drilling more domestically.
McCain said he supported the idea as part of his energy plan, which he said includes a little bit of everything.
– Cody Switzer

The next question from the crowd was about the possibility of the expansion of American mass transit, specifically high speed rail, a question that makes sense given the audience.
McCain said that he can see a future in rail in America, and can already see some developing on the east coast, and he is confident rail service will grow on the west coast as well.
McCain said that he had just talked to Immelt about the issue, and suggested GE get more involved in developing rail.
He joked that Immelt had never thought of that before, and when U.S. rail travel increases he will take the credit.
“Much like the rooster gets credit for crowing and bringing up the sun,” McCain said..
– Cody Switzer

McCain briefly outlined his military service, saying that he has always served his country first, and then opened up the floor for questions.
The first person at the microphone asked McCain what role he thought that technology played in the future of industry.
He said that it plays a huge role not only in the future of America’s economy, but also the world’s economy. He told a story about a visit to Google’s headquarters where he looked at a globe showing points of light for every person using the search engine. The continent of Africa, he said, was dark.
The American worker, which has access to technology and information, is one of the best in the world, he said.
– Cody Switzer