Do Democrats need a contested primary for governor in 2014?
Political commentators Terry Madonna and Michael Young think it would be to the party’s advantage if it hopes to unseat incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican.
Political analyst Terry Madonna/ETN file photo
They argue in their latest “Politically Uncorrected” column that the Democrats have a “nobody problem,” meaning not enough people know what they call an “impressive” field of potential candidates statewide.
One way to generate name recognition, they say, is through “a good old-fashioned party primary, one that will give their candidates a chance to offer their vision for Pennsylvania, while giving those voters a chance to size up the candidates.”
But they acknowledge a primary battle is not a popular view. “It’s widely believed that contested primaries usually waste limited campaign resources, gratuitously offer general election opponents juicy targets and turn off voters,” they wrote.
How many of the potential Democratic candidates do you know?
The analysts say they include former state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger; Philly businessman Tom Knox; state Treasurer Rob McCord; Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski; Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz; former Congressman Joe Sestak; state Sen. Mike Stack; and former Revenue Secretary and businessman Tom Wolfe.
One name that won’t be on the list is former Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper, of Erie, who has decided to run for Erie County executive this year.
– John Guerriero