Kampf-Drucker 2012 Election Rematch for PA House of Representatives, District 157
Rumored for weeks, it is now official – Election Day 2012 will see a rematch between State Rep Warren Kampf (R) and former State Rep Paul Drucker (D) for the PA House of Representatives, District 157.
Drucker defeated opponent Guy Ciarrocchi (R) on November 4, 2008 to succeed retiring Republican Carole Rubley. If you recall, the Drucker-Ciarrocchi race had the distinction of being the most expensive (and possibly the nastiest) race in the state in 2008. A close race for the legislative district 157, Drucker defeated Ciarrocchi by a margin of 50.95% to 49.1%.
After serving 2 years as our State Representative, Drucker was defeated in 2010 in his re-election bid by Republican Warren Kampf. Earlier this month, Kampf formally announced his decision to seek a second term to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
The Chester County Democratic Party held their nominating convention tonight. Democratic Committeepersons and proxies cast their votes and by the end of the night, Drucker emerged from the convention endorsement process as the chosen endorsed PA House of Representative democratic candidate for District 157.
The Pennsylvania Primary Election date is April 24, 2012 and is likely an uncontested primary for both Kampf and Drucker.
Looking ahead to this rematch between Drucker and Kampf, can we hope that the candidates, and their campaign committees, will stick to the actual voting records and history on issues of their opponent?
Filed under: Tredyffrin Township
Tags: Carole Rubley, Community Matters, Guy Ciarrocchi, PA House of Representatives, Pattye Benson, Paul Drucker, State House 157, Warren Kampf
Been there –done that. Why would Drucker not just get on with his life and move on. What is it about a State Rep job that you would want it back? Not only do I support term limits, I support one bite at the apple….do the Dems really have no one else (who can afford the time off to run and the money to finance it?)
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Drucker did a good job for us before in Harrisburg and I support his reelection.
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Pattye –
I agree this will be an interesting race, but I disagree with your last statement about sticking to the record.
If you look at the 2010 race, I would challenge someone to find an attack made by the Kampf campaign that wasn’t focused on Mr. Drucker’s record. It was Mr. Drucker’s campaign that tried to make issues out of Mr. Kampf’s legal career, etc. — basically things that had nothing to do with State Representative or even state issues for that matter.
In 2008, when both Drucker and Ciarrochi were “new” candidates to the State House, those records didn’t really exist so the race got nastier. I will say though that in looking back there were several Drucker mailers that had footnotes that, when checked, had no relation to the claims they were making.
Personally, Mr. Drucker lost my vote this spring when, touting the Democratic talking points, he called on the legislature to spend a $700 Million surplus that was based wholly on a rosy estimate of future state revenue and at the same time the state faces other looming financial obligations (pensions, possible repayment of MCare Fund from its being raided.)
As we know today, state revenue is lagging behind even the conservative estimates utilized by the Governor and the Legislature. If Mr. Drucker had his way, we would now be facing a $1.2 Billion deficit for the 2011-12 year.
I just can’t support someone who seems to think money grows on trees during these really bad economic times.
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Pattye, could you direct us to Drucker’s website and his campaign announcement? Thanks
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Paul Drucker did a great job as State Rep. He worked tirelessly to assure the Turnpike Commission didn’t take properties and produced a responsible plan, He was instrumental in bringing significant funding to advance the Paoli Transportation Center. Who has better experience to “hit the ground running” in Harrisburg to counter the short-sighted and mean-spirited Corbett administration?
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Township Reader
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January 29th, 2012 at 7:09 PM
“Significant funding” — that’s a talking point. The million dollar check from Dwight Evans to the developer certainly seems to have a cost….where is it now? Is that million dollars still in an account somewhere? We know Dwight Evans can’t produce it again.
I have no residual problems with Mr. Drucker, but I wonder what he has done for the past two years that he’s dying to come back. I think his time with Rendell speaks for itself. It’s just that he played a hand and lost, and you think the reason he should come back is because he’s not a Republican. We had 8 years of Rendell and I keep hearing about what Ridge did….how much time do we give regimes to turn things around? I know that WK is facing off against the PSEA on his pension approach — which means Mr. Drucker will have strong support from that union. That support will have a cost too. Who pays it?
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No first term state rep is expected to take the lead on a major piece of legislation. In the first two years, it’s all about learning the ropes and forming alliances with like-minded legislators on issues that matter to your district, your region, your party.
In this regard, Drucker and Kampf will have an even playing field -each one-termers with similar backgrounds and credentials – i.e. attorneys who began their careers working as assistant district attorneys, served on Tredyffrin’s BOS, with solid records of public service.
But if you have been troubled in the last year, as I have, by the sweeping changes pushed by Gov. Corbett and supported by one-party control of the State Assembly, it’s time to use the power of your vote to change course.
Consider what occurred under total Republican control in 2011, and what is on the agenda for 2012. This is just a sampling:
- Corbett is pushing to redirect a significant portion of education funding to for-profit charters and for vouchers to private schools – or as the governor likes to describe it ” letting the money follow the child”.
- Corbett clearly intends to close down the Chester-Upland school district and force thousands of students to find their way into neighboring districts or existing charter schools – in the middle of a school year! Even though the state has controlled this school district for most of the last 20 years and drastically cut its funding for 2011-12.
- The Dept. of Education plans to “help” distressed school districts with a governor- appointed receiver who will have the power to end any collective bargaining agreements, fire any school personnel at will, and effectively end all local control. (Remind you of Michigan’s reviled governor Rick Snyder, or Wisconsin’s soon to be recalled Scott Walker?)
- DPW has announced a May 1 date to impose means testing for all PA food stamp recipients that is so draconian and short-sighted ( it discourages any saving by those who’d rather eat) that hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians will potentially go without food.
- Corbett pushed for the recently enacted “safety” law that took advantage of the public outrage over abortion doctor Gosnell’s criminal activities to justify closing the majority of the state’s women’s health centers. See http://www.phillytrib.com/newsarticles/item/2093-abortion-clinics-wary-of-new-pa-law.html
Corbett’s real intent and that of anti-abortion legislators is to make an end-run around Roe v. Wade and impose their personal beliefs on all of the state’s women. – even though the majority of Pennsylvanians believe that this service should be available and the choice a private one.
-Kampf and his fellow House Republicans have voted to pass a voter ID bill that will suppress the votes of hundreds of thousands of currently registered PA voters in the ABSENCE of any cases of voter impersonation. The Senate has proposed amendments to H.B. 934 that do little to improve this partisan legislation. Corbett is waiting to sign it as soon as it reaches his desk.
- Senator Pileggi has proposed a bill to apportion PA’s electoral votes by Congressional district – with the clear intent of limiting Obama’s electoral votes in PA. Only Maine and Alaska split their votes now. They have a total of 7 electoral votes. PA has 20.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/us/politics/pennsylvania-republicans-weigh-electoral-vote-changes.html?_r=1
- The 5- person, Republican majority redistricting committee predictably drew up new district lines that will benefit Republicans – cutting up municipalities to increase Republican voter percentages – even eliminating some Democratic districts entirely.
But at least temporarily, the redistricting plan – passed in a straight partisan vote by both houses – was been put on hold by the state Supreme Court yesterday.. See:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/01/state_supreme_courts_throws_ou.html
If you support vouchers and the defunding of public education, state appointed receivers having complete control of school districts, rigged voting, shredding the safety net for the state’s most vulnerable citizens and other unopposed one -party shenanigans… then Mr. Kampf is your man.
Here’s a sample of Mr. Kampf’s voting record. http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/78179/warren-kampf
But if you oppose many of the actions taken or planned by Corbett and his voting majority, then consider doing your part to restore two-party government in Harrisburg by sending Mr. Drucker there.
This year the choice couldn’t be clearer.
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From The West
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January 27th, 2012 at 8:28 PM
Kate,
I find your indictment of Mr Kampf utilizing inititatives that are not his or broad strokes incredibly hollow and politics as usual. You would flip if I tried to denigrate Mr Drucker using Obama’s issues and simply calling them the same. You should try better if this race and blog are to be kept civil and on point to the 157th.
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kate
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January 28th, 2012 at 12:19 AM
FTW, As you well know, I did not “indict” Mr. Kampf at all. It is up to the voters of the 157th to examine Rep. Kampf’s voting record and statements of support regarding the Corbett agenda. I did not suggest they are joined at the hip.
It is simply a fact that our state is in the hands of one party and that most legislation passed under Corbett has been along party lines.
The Democratic minority has few options right now. Bringing the fight directly to the voters and fighting to make bad bills better are all they can do when an ideologically driven majority has set about slashing government and undoing the democratic process.
If you support deep cuts to education, charters over traditional public schools and taxpayer dollars for vouchers to private schools, the shredding of the social safety net while letting gas drillers off the hook, then by all means, defend and vote to support the status quo.
But if you are troubled by what a one-party majority has done and plans to do – with Governor Corbett anxious to put his signature on it – then it’s time for change in 2012.
One point: Paul Drucker is running for state office. What does President Obama’s re-election platform have to do with issues that affect Pennsylvania? ….Unless you were trying to make a Drucker-Obama connection equivalent to a Kampf-Corbett one. Good try.
You wrote:” You should try better if this race and blog are to be kept civil and on point to the 157th.” Ditto, FTW. Ditto.
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flyersfan
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January 29th, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Kate, lots of indictments in your post. Some may like whats happening in harrisburg with new regime and want to give it more time. Change.. yea yea..
I wish I was in the mud business, because it’s about to get sold in bulk.
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kate
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January 27th, 2012 at 12:02 PM
I sincerely hope not, CJ. There are clear policy differences between the two candidates. Voters will either consider the current one-party system in Harrisburg acceptable, or they won’t.
Mr. Kampf is a good man, a dedicated public servant who has voted his conscience over the last year.
Voters will decide whether they support the Corbett/Kampf agenda or not.
Mudslinging and personal attacks will not shed any light on this process.
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flyersfan
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January 27th, 2012 at 1:55 PM
I agree kate, Warren is a good man and he will have my vote again. Will be eager to see how his second term goes, assuming he gets one. I think he trumps Drucker on many fronts and I’m not concerned about the so called one party system as it exists now.
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soon to be recalled Scott Walker? Not so fast I just hope the petulant Democratic state representatives stay in town this time.
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