Redstate

And a lesson for conservatives everywhere:  if you want the bums out, replace them with better Republicans.

I second the 1000 Amens.

I'm not a PA expert, but this sounds like not only great news for conservatives in PA, but also for the candidacy of Lynn Swan, right?  Swan represents a new generation of Republicans in PA, and it sounds like he's going to have a strong army of candidates behind him.

Now, you guys up I-95 need to send some of that good karma down here to Virginia next year!

I third and 5,000 Amens?

This is exactly the type of message we need to get out. Change the party from within, not by staying home. It is how we built this majority and will keep it healthy.

For those of you not familiar with PA politics - the aftershocks of this are huge.  Jubelier, along with GOP House Speaker John Perzel, was one of the two or three most powerful men in the state.  He controlled the party operation, money, etc.  This is a seismic election - control of the party may be wrested away from Philadelphia RINOs and placed into the hands of reforming conservatives.

Now, the responsibility is on the conservatives to expand their victories, consolidate, and govern effectively.  Congrats to Chris Lilik and all of the other conservative activists and candidates that made this possible.

On a related note, a suburban Pittsburgh incumbent Republican state rep looks as though he will be defeated by a 21 year old conservative insurgent who led Students for Toomey.

Tonight is for celebrating, tomorrow is for the next step forward.  Nevertheless, I'm proud of my home state tonight!

I look at the Brightbill and Jubelirer defeats as the electorate focusing on their outrage over the pay raise more than any sort of "real" conservative revolution.

Heck, Central PA couldn't get anymore conservative.

No, Swann has bigger problems. Mostly, it's cash. Second, a lot of folks I talk to here in the York/Lancaster area are disenchanted with Swann's seeming lack of vision, or at the very least, his pronouncement of it.

But I'm sure he'll get on message now that the primaries are over.

But don't expect a strong conservative slate of local legislators out in the boonies to push Swann over the top. The only way Swann wins is by convincing the voters in the 5 counties (Phila, Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery and Chester) that's he's a better option than a second term of Fast Eddie Rendell. And trust me, that's going to be very, very, hard to do.

Mark's gonna win! I lost my state committee race, rather badly actually but it wasn't for lack of trying... for results go here:

http://www.lehighcounty.org/voter/elect.cfm?doc=catlist3.cfm&cat=200&am
p;bt=0&CFID=2558807&CFTOKEN=50068654

The next shoe to drop will likely be the PAGOP chair.  The word on the street is that Eileen Melvin, the current chair of PAGOP has been very ineffective.  Former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton (a fiscal conservative/social liberal) may throw his hat in the ring.  I'd be curious to see if Pat Toomey would jump at that opportunity, since it would position him to run for Specter's seat in 2010.

Other big winners tonight include Glen Meakem, the Pittsburgh millionaire with political ambitions who donated to many of the conservatives, and Richard Scaife, the longtime Pittsburgh philanthropist.

The establishment is tearing their hair out tonight in PA.

You did fine. 3,000-plus votes isn't anything to sneeze at. It takes guts to throw your name in the hat and I'm sure the experiance will only help you down the road.

... the establishment had their hair pulled out tonight.

One small bit of concern to my analytical eyes is that it appears that Republican incumbents are getting hit harder than Democratic ones. But that is a small concern. Overall, the results look very pleasing to me.

Really wish Beaver had dumped Veon, though.

But hopefully the next time will be the charm.

Veon may get the polls were held open in his district.

especially since Snelling got appointed to something by President Bush...oh well, have to get my chips in order for next year now. County Commissioner!

That GOP incumbents were more to blame since they had comfortable majorities in both the House and the Senate, and were among the legislative leaders that orchestrated the payjacking.  They also supported a pretty big tax increase.  This GOP majority has been a rubber stamp for Ed Rendell.  We joke a lot of times that there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats, and of course that is silly.  A Hastert House and a Pelosi House would be like day and night.  However, I think a good case can be made that the only differences in PA would be a matter of degree.

I also suspect that GOP voters are a bit more reform minded.  The labor blocs and other Dem interest groups in PA are going to vote for their guys through thick and thin.  It does send a bad message though that Veon couldn't be brought down over this.  But hey, let them have the corrupt, pay-jacking leadership.  I'll take the reformers.

Nothing can save Swann from Ed Rendell - period.  Rendell is the best politician and the best fundraiser in the state.  The demographics and media markets are also skewed significantly in his favor.  Swann would need to run a flawless campaign, and that doesn't seem to be happening.  If Swann walks away with 47%, it's a moral victory.

As to the legislative races, I agree that the pay raise was the prime mover in ejecting the incumbents.  However, I think it's interesting to note that all of the successful challengers campaigned to the right of the incumbents.  I think there may have been simmering discontent with the ideology of the incumbents, but a spark was needed to light the powder keg.  Also, without the financial and grassroots support from movement conservatives, Eichelberger and Folmer would have gotten nowhere.  This was a referendum on reform, but also one on ideology.

Tonight will serve as a wake-up call for the Swann campaign.  Let's see if he wakes up or hits the snooze bar.

Swann was the GOP establishment candidate and he paid them back by not criticizing the GOP leadership for the pay raise and for the corruption.  Towards the end of the primary campaign he went so far as to endorse Senator Jubelirer.

Will conservatives vote for him in the end?  Probably.  But based on what he has done so far will they give him their money or their time?  Depends.  Without the ground troops, I don't know how well he can do.

but I think we can call this a win if the primary winners win in November.  If they lose, then, in all honesty, I believe we must reasses whether it was good idea nominating them.

Even in the Southeast where the pay raise did not seem to have the legs that it did in Central and Western PA, an incumbent went down.  Rep. Sue Cornell (Montgomery), who supported the pay raise and had the endorsement handed to her anyway, was defeated in her primary.  

Don't roll over in the face of arrogance.  Get out there and work hard for people you believe in.

This is exciting news!  State legislature elections are really unsung, but they're tremendously important.

How many seats in the state legislature were up for election?  I'd love to know how the parties' standings were changed, and whether the GOP is now more conservative in Pennsylvania.

You're right.  At least a couple of house incumbents are in marginal districts.  So that just means that this isn't over.  We need to see this through to the end.  

It appears that Gary Hornberger defeated 18 year incumbent Bob Allen by 95 votes. Hornberger is a Reagan Republican and Allen is er...not. Proud to say I spent the day working the polls in my precinct for Mr. Hornberger.

Politics is not boxing, it is a tug of war.  You don't win a tug of war by pushing.

You just have to know what to do with the rope when you win.

Now to beat my favorite dead horse:  This is an important step -- get the RINOs out at the primary!  This way we can feel better about pulling for (R) at the general.

Again, congratulations to PA conservatives -- good luck!

I live in the 30th.

Remember, the revolution must be more than just the ideas.  (Anybody can push them.)  It's about what carries those principles.

This vote was purely one of voter disgruntlement with a pay raise the incumbent Senators had voted themselves in early 2005.  Voters stayed madashell, not going to take it anymore, and the Senators were voted out of office.  This was not about conservativism, and it does not reflect anything which will influence the gubernatorial race in either direction.  Remember, Governor Rendell pushed for and signed the pay increase of 2005, and Lynn Swann campaigned with one of the incumbents swept out of office in the insurgency, Bob Jubelirer.

...I'm moving out of NJ (craphole it's become, they elected Corzine after me screaming at them not to) and into PA.

30 more days!

:)

And good luck in the general.

I graduated Penn State 14 years ago as an out of state, know-it-all, disinterested, apolitical 22 year old.  And even I recognize the name Jubelirer.

In with the new blood!

on Eichelberger.  ugh.  But, he Is endorsed by the local Veterans associations and his opponent is even worse, so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and hope Colonel (ret.) Belsey is right about him.

just the ones who won't swear fealty.

Heck, I may even add it to my tag line. Is it copywritten?

Not in PA so have no idea.

Wasn't Rep.Sherwood the guy who was accused of choking his former mistress, and then settled out of court with her?

Curious whether that guy managed to get any votes in the primary after a revelation like that.

Any PA folks know?

and use my words for whatever you want.  I'll make more.

And yes, he is the guy who did the things you said.

PA election returns are online at http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/

Once again, the power of incumbency.

Although I imagine he's made himself a considerably softer target for his Democratic opponent.

But still, wow.

Preach family values, cheat on your wife, take a mistress, physically assault said mistress, settle out of court with said mistress, and win your Republican primary.

As Don King once said, "Only in America!"

Do any PA folks know more about Rep. Sherwood? Is he considered a star in the conservative movement? Or is he a relatively unknown congressman?

No, he's not a rising star. Just a party line Republican in a very red part of the state.

I'm a little surprised he won considering the scandal, but he did have Rick Santorum's endorsement and Santorum even was making those pre-recorded computer calls on his behalf.

My prediction is that if voters in the 10th weren't appalled enough by his actions to vote him out to another Republican, there's no way they'll let a Democrat take that seat.

And what's a little adultery and mistress choking at the end of the day?

If he's got Santorum's endorsement and is a party line Republican, I guess that's good enough for his Pennsylvania constituents.

One wonders at what point people begin to expect just a little, tiny bit more from their representatives - particularly when his actions contradict their core values.

But god bless him. I tip my hat to anyone - Republican or Democrat - who can pull that sort of thing off.