U.S. House races: Altmire wins right to face Hart in fall
Share with others:
Pay raise backlash ousts top legislators
Allegheny CountyButler CountyWestmoreland CountyLawrence CountyMercer CountyBeaver CountyDemocrat Jason Altmire, a former congressional aide, will try to take a higher position in the Capitol by challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart in the fall.
Mr. Altmire, of McCandless, bested businesswoman Georgia Berner in yesterday's Democratic primary largely on the basis of strong support from the northern Allegheny County portion of the 4th Congressional District. Ms. Hart, who is from Bradford Woods, in the same section of the broad district, faced no Republican opposition in seeking a fourth term.
In another district where two Democrats vied to challenge an incumbent Republican, Chad Kluko defeated Thomas Kovach in the 18th Congressional District. He will face two-term U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy in November.
In the area's only other contested congressional primary, incumbent Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, headed to a seventh term by easily defeating challenger Mike Isaac, an underfunded high school teacher from Squirrel Hill. No Republicans entered the race in the heavily Democratic 14th District, which includes the city of Pittsburgh and many suburbs.
Ms. Hart, one of Pennsylvania's most conservative lawmakers, has won three general elections to represent a district that includes parts of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and Westmoreland counties. Mr. Altmire and Ms. Berner, of Zelienople, both hoped to present a greater challenge to her than prior Democratic candidates and take advantage of their party's registration advantage in the district.
Mr. Altmire, 38, resigned his position as a senior government affairs executive at UPMC to run for Congress. The former Florida State University football player received endorsements from key labor groups, elected officials and the Democratic committees of Allegheny and Beaver counties, which he credited with helping him overcome Ms. Berner's fund-raising advantage.
Ms. Berner, 63, of Zelienople, owns Berner International, a New Castle manufacturing company she took over after her first husband's death in a plane crash. She led Mr. Altmire strongly in Lawrence and Butler counties, but he overcame that with the strong showing in Allegheny, which has a greater slice of the district than any other county.
Mr. Altmire, who spent 1991-96 as an aide to U.S. Rep. Pete Peterson of Florida, said Ms. Hart has never had a Democratic challenger with his kind of policy experience. While he estimates his fund-raising goal of $1 million might be just one-third of what Ms. Hart raises, he hopes to gain votes by positioning himself as the centrist candidate, contending the incumbent is "too right-wing" for the district.
"She has a 96 percent voting record supporting the president and Republican leadership of Congress, and if I were elected it's safe to say I would not have that kind of record," Mr. Altmire said, pointing to such issues as the Medicare drug plan, Social Security privatization and the Iraqi war that separate the two.
The 18th District, covering portions of Washington, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, has been represented for two terms by Mr. Murphy, a psychologist and former state senator from Upper St. Clair. He has garnered more than 60 percent of the vote against his two prior Democratic opponents, though Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee officials contend he is more vulnerable this time.
Mr. Kluko, 44, a former television and telecommunications executive from Monroeville, also had a heavy lead among Allegheny County voters to offset Mr. Kovach's advantage in Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Mr. Kluko entered politics for the first time this year, attributing it to concerns about the Bush administration's direction. He won the Allegheny County Democratic Committee's endorsement. He returned to his hometown four years ago after working in Southern California as an executive with both Fox Television and Verizon Wireless.
Elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania, incumbent Congressmen John P. Murtha and Phil English had no primary opposition but will face challenges in the November general election.
Mr. Murtha, D-Johnstown, will face Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey, who was the sole candidate for the Republican nod in the 12th District.
Mr. English, R-Erie, will have a fall challenge for his 3rd District seat from Democrat Steve Porter, who also was unopposed yesterday.
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, is assured of re-election in the 9th District because no one campaigned against him for either the Democratic or Republican nomination.
First Published May 17, 2006 12:00 am
