Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Judy DiFilippo Makes Her Decision Official — She Will Run for State Representative

It is now official. Many of us knew that when Judy DiFilippo decided not to seek re-election to Tredyffrin Township’s Board of Supervisors, she had already begun to consider a run for the State House. Now it is official — Judy is in the race for State Representative from the 157th district. Stay tuned as the Primary campaign season begins to unfold; I think it’s going to be an interesting ride!

Below is the official press release announcing Judy’s bid for the state house which appears in today’s Main Line Suburban Life newspaper.

DiFilippo sets sights on state house

Published: Wednesday, January 20, 2010

By Blair Meadowcroft

Shortly after stepping down from her position on the Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors, a position held for the past 20 years, Judy DiFilippo has announced her candidacy for state representative in the 157th Legislative District. DiFilippo decided to run in the Republican primary for state representative after being asked, and so far the response to her candidacy has been positive.

“There is a lot of support out there, which is nice,” said DiFilippo. “The experience so far has been very good.”

With a background rich in diversity, DiFilippo feels her various experiences have prepared her for the position of state representative. “It’s important to have someone who understands local government because some of the decisions they make up in Harrisburg really impact local government and school districts,” said DiFilippo. “My experience is at the township level as well as the county level through working with the Planning Commission. I have also worked with various supervisors in municipalities from the smallest township to the larger ones.”

A life-long volunteer, the list of organizations and committees that DiFilippo has given her time to, as well as the various positions she has held, is endless. Perhaps one of the experiences on DiFilippo’s résumé that will best prepare her for this new position was her time spent working for former 157th District State Rep. Carole Rubley for more than two years starting in 2003. “Through that experience I have been able to establish a relationship with some of the other state legislators, which will prove useful,” said DiFilippo.

Although just at the beginning of her campaign, DiFilippo continues to make phone calls, a task she began before the holidays. Additionally she is beginning to put her committee together. If elected, she plans to address the “really tough issues” in Harrisburg.

According to DiFilippo, based on talking to people, most of the concerns being expressed revolve around the economy and health care as well as local issues with traffic. “I can take these concerns to Harrisburg and try to find ways to resolve some of them,” said DiFilippo. “So far people are very willing to listen to me as well as share their concerns with me, which I appreciate. I need them to understand that I am willing to take those concerns to Harrisburg to work on ways to address them.”

With the support and encouragement of her family, friends, neighbors and colleagues in the 157th District, DiFilippo said she is excited at the prospect of continuing her public service at the state level.

“I am willing to commit to this position full-time,” said DiFilippo. “I want to bring my knowledge of the community and local government to Harrisburg and work on the issues that we all care about – the economy, jobs and quality-of-life issues like the environment, education, health care, rising energy costs and traffic.” DiFilippo’s plans for the upcoming months are to continue to meet with the voters in the 157th District.

“I look forward to meeting with the voters to discuss our common concerns and to earn their support for my election,” said DiFilippo.

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  1. I was glad to hear that Judy has decided to run but she will have to beat Warren Kampf in May. As Republicans, Judy and Warren represent opposite ends of the spectrum. For Independents, Judy is far more moderate and therefore much more appealing. Is she going to still run if she is not endorsed by the Republican Committee? The last time when she ran against Guy Cirachocci (sp) she was not endorsed and dropped out of the race. Is she going to do the same thing this time? If Warren is endorsed by the TTRC what is that going to say for her chances of winning the primary? Do you think that she can beat Warren?

  2. A very positive news day, today!

    Obama hears the wake up call from Massachusetts, and seems to be looking towards a healthcare bill that might actually be helpful and not break the bank.

    Paul Drucker (whatever his motives, John!) is moving on one of the most egregious political issues in the state.

    And Judy throws her hat into the Republican ring. The only problem with that is that she lists the issues as economy, healthcare and traffic. Maybe if she gets out front with some real ideas on perhaps the biggest single issue that Harrisburg can affect – EDUCATION – then party endorsements might be less important. And she could show an truly independent spirit by endorsing Andy Dinniman’s ideas for school governance reform.

    Hope springs eternal!

    1. Ray
      I guess I’m out of touch with Harrisburg — so I just went to the Dinniman website and didn’t see a word about educaiton reform. Can you update?

      1. See Pattye’s December 30th post:
        Senator Dinniman Proposes Taking the ‘Politics’ Out of All Pennsylvania School Boards

        1. Also, I did see the actual press release announcing Judy’s candidacy, which included the statement:

          “Putting people first, I will work on the issues that we all care about – the economy, jobs, and quality of life issues like the environment, education, rising energy costs, and traffic. We need to find ways to reduce the cost of government. Perhaps now is the time to reduce the size of our state legislature.”

          I was pleased to see education included, and I’m looking forward to specifics as the campaign unfolds.

          1. Thanks. I had missed that post — but I find it odd that it is no where on Dinniman’s website including under “his legislation.” The wheels of government don’t turn as we expect?
            Having read the post now, I don’t see the point– 250 signatures is not much to get on the ballot, but getting those signatures is not exactly a “vetting”process. While it may not be what many like, the local parties do some vetting of candidates for primaries — and you do not need the local endorsement to get on the ballot. You also “cross file” for school board elections to be sure that voters who are registered in either party can vote for you in the primary. Endorsement has never meant much in school board elections locally, but perhaps it’s different elsewhere. I may be naturally suspicious, but somehow I think that the PSEA is behind this idea, so I need to think about the longer term implications of a list of names where we “check two.” come November.

  3. John P.

    Didn’t C.T. at one time say Kampf couldn’t win or that he wasn’t the “right fit” for the district? And wasn’t Carole’s district one of those changed, but she managed to win anyway?

  4. Well, team, committee people know there is a third choice: Kendrick Buckwalter of Phoenixville.

    He is a mainstream conservative with 15 years of municipal government under his belt. He is also a small businessman, running Buckwalter Framing for many years, which for a couple decades was located in Tredyffrin. In Malvern, now.

    His values, both social and fiscal, are obvious. He has never backed away from them while winning elections in Phoenixville. And that brings us to electability:

    Ken is a guy who beat the Phoenixville Democrat Party Chair in one election, and then the Chester County Democrat Treasurer in the next one. In Phoenixville. If you could have just given Guy a victory in Ken’s ward– where Ken already wins elections– Guy would have won.

  5. It’s the DEMOCRATIC Party. You’ve been watching too much Fox News.

    And Guy Ciarrocchi lost because his positions on a number of issues fall too far to the right for Tredyffrin’s moderate voters.

    Mr. Buckwalter will not fare well in Tredyffrin. Ms. DiFillippo and Mr. Drucker would each beat him handily.

    You can sell, but few will be buyin’ in Tredyffrin.

  6. Hey, anonymous: I don’t take cable. So I don’t watch any cable news.

    Let’s talk about primaries, for now.

    In a three-way primary, Warren and Judy beat each other up. Ken could win.

    Against just Judy, Ms. DiFillippo obviously has some baggage that would encourage people in her neck of the woods to consider someone else. Against just Warren, the same applies, although perhaps less so. I don’t mean to suggest said baggage is accurate, or appropriate, but enough people support each of them that, well, even if they both aren’t running in a primary things could get ugly. Ken, on the other hand, is pretty universally admired. Besides, he owned and operated a business IN Tredyffrin for almost two decades. You don’t think some people know him, too?

    Now, for the general: Believe me, and we will get into this at more length later, the numbers are VERY favorable for a Republican from Phoenixville.

  7. Hey, John. Miss your regular site, but luckily we have here!

    Yes, I am working with Ken.

    You are assuming at the Convention that Ken will have the least number of votes, thereby relegating him to spoiler. I believe that you will be proven wrong in this assumption.

    The Phoenixville GOP came out great for Guy. But this is 2008 we’re talking about. Obama was da bomb in Phoenixville. Even so, you will discover Guy ran better than McCain. Ergo Phoenixville came out as best as could be managed.

    I am merely saying in a general election if Ken just wins his ward– like he already does repeatedly– that he wins, if all other numbers remain the same.

    Now, how well-known is Ken in Tredyffrin? Well, not as well-known as Judy and Warren. That’s for sure. At the same time, I bet if you could run a poll, you would discover they both have higher negatives than Ken. Not because of anything bad. Just because they have each, rightfully or wrongfully, earned some animosity here and there. Ken, largely, has not.

    Given this, let’s take those 420 weirdly compulsive primary voters. 100 are in Phoenixville and Schuylkill. And lets throw in another 30 across the French Creek. That makes 130 or so voting for Ken, as back of the envelope thinking. Of the remaining 320, how many have to have a beef with the Tredyffrin candidate in a duel primary to tip the scales to Ken? Well, if it’s only about a third of them, Ken is up 230 to 220. Like I said, back of the envelope and all that, but you see what I mean.

    The real point, though, is this: People will learn about what Ken stands for, and they will like it. A record of environmental and fiscal responsibility, decades of experience in municipal service and local government, volunteer firefighter, resident of one major area, businessman in the other. He is not interested in geographic tribalism, except in the sense it makes the general election easier. He is interested in bringing together elements of the party that might be a little testy with one another. He can unite the entire party in a way the other candidates cannot.

  8. 1) Ken has a track record of caring about Constitutional government. He put his political career on the line in support of it, and won a unanimous Supreme Court decision doing the right and difficult thing.

    2) Ken was one of the main architects of Phoenixville’s very successful recycling program. This either blows sunshine up your skirt, or it doesn’t, but it for people looking for a different sort of Republican, it is a good thing.

    3) Ken has years and years of experience in municipal government in one main part of the district, and was a long-time business owner in the other. He has very low negatives. He can unite the *entire* party in a way that Warren and Judy, rightfully or wrongfully, cannot. This, in addition to his demonstrated ability to pull votes out of Phoenixville in a general election, makes him the most electable candidate.

    Ken would probably pick a different three things. You should reach out to him and ask him yourself.

    I would not presume to speak for Ken on matters of money and under what circumstances he would run in a primary. He has not even officially announced.

    But I can tell you this: He is selling a family business to do this. Does that sound like someone willing to do the work necessary to run that sort of primary? Seems like it to me.

  9. My pleasure, John. Call Ken. See for yourself. If you think he sounds like a good guy, so will lots of other people in Tredyffrin.

    Seems to me the real question is if a Tredyffrin candidate finishes third place after the second ballot, will that person’s voters go to another Tredyffrin candidate after they’ve been squabbling with each other, or will they largely go to the candidate who promises a real opportunity to unite the Committee behind a single strong candidate.

    Ken is selling his business because he feels the people of PA 157 deserve nothing less than a representative’s full and undivided attention during the race, and in office. Much like his position with the Borough when he took them to court over a Constitutional issue, there is no loophole here for personal or political convenience.

    But thanks for being open-minded. I would like to think that is a typical mindset for most of the Committee people in the district, which is why I think Ken’s chances are excellent.

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