Democrat gubernatorial hopefuls make final push

As the Democrat gubernatorial primary heads into the final weekend of campaigning, three candidates will be patrolling three different corners of the state, each trying to drum up enough support to catch Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, who leads in all statewide polls.

Jack Wagner, Anthony Williams, and Joe Hoeffel will be piling up the miles trying to make a final impression before Tuesday’s election. And though he might be several lengths in front of his opponents on the home stretch, Mr. Onorato won’t be relaxing until the polls close either.

Auditor General Jack Wagner

Mr. Wagner, the state Auditor General, will be making several campaign stops in the southwest and northwest parts of the commonwealth over the weekend and on Monday. Campaign spokesperson J.J. Abbott said Fayette County, where Mr. Wagner will be hosting an event with two local state representatives and a state senator on Saturday, is a major target for the campaign’s final days.

Despite trailing in the polls and in fundraising totals, Mr. Wagner is optimistic because so many voters – upwards of 40 percent in some polls – are still undecided, leaving the door open for an Election Day surprise.

“We’re focused on the ground game, and we have a pretty excellent network of support because Jack has run for statewide office three times. We’re getting in touch with as many people as possible, even with limited support compared to other campaigns,” said Mr. Abbott.

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel will be traveling through the central and northeastern parts of the state over the weekend before returning to his home turf in the Philadelphia suburbs on Monday. He will stop at several diners for small “meet-and-greet” events throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Carbon Counties on Saturday, and will deliver a speech in Towanda voicing his position on Marcellus shale drilling.

Mr. Hoeffel believes the state needs stronger environmental regulations to protect Pennsylvania’s water supply from the threat of contamination from drilling for natural gas. As with many other issues, Mr. Hoeffel has positioned himself as the most progressive left-wing candidate in the field.

Though Mr. Hoeffel has received less than ten percent of the vote in most statewide polls, Campaign Co-Director Lauren Townsend pointed to the large number of undecided voters and said the campaign is “hoping for an upset”.

State Sen. Anthony Williams

The surprisingly high contribution totals raised by state Sen. Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia), including nearly three million dollars from a school choice PAC in Philadelphia, has turned his campaign into the second favorite in most statewide polls, though he remains well back of Mr. Onorato.

Williams’ campaign has scored several important endorsements in the Philadelphia area, including the city’s district attorney and prominent leaders of the African-American community, but has little to show for the rest of the state. He is expected to campaign throughout the state over this weekend, but with an emphasis in the southeast.

Mr. Onorato is not going to be putting his feet up this weekend either, with several campaign stops planned, though his campaign was not disclosing the candidate’s schedule Friday.

The state Democrat Party refused to endorse any of the candidates in the primary, but Mr. Onorato has grabbed the lion’s share of key left-wing nominations from labor unions, four county Democratic Committees, and numerous elected officials. He has also out-fundraised the other candidates, giving him considerably more advertising air time across the state.

Friday’s daily poll conducted by Muhlenberg College and The Morning Call showed Mr. Onorato with 39 percent of the overall vote and a 25 point lead over his nearest opponent. Mr. Williams is holding steady in second with 14 percent of the vote, while Mr. Wagner and Mr. Hoeffel tied for last with 11 percent each.

The same poll showed 25 percent of voters as undecided, a high total for this late in an election cycle, but that number is down from 40 percent less than two weeks ago.