Lincoln Blog
March 09, 2010:
When they legalized gambling in Pennsylvania, who would have thought that would be how we would pick our next Lieutenant Governor; or at least the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor?
At last count it appears nine candidates have filed seeking the Republican nomination for the state's second highest executive office. Given that none are exactly household names, at least statewide, the luck of the draw for ballot position may be the single biggest factor determining the outcome of the race.
The field includes three individuals who have sought statewide office before: John Kennedy of Cumberland County, Jean Craig Pepper of Erie County, and Chet Beiler of Lancaster County.
Also running are some who currently serve in elective office, including State Representative Daryl Metcalfe of Butler County and Bucks County Commissioner Jim Cawley.
Cawley also has the endorsement of the Republican State Committee, which, in this year of the outsider, may be as much curse as blessing.
There are businessmen in the field, including Steve Johnson of York County and Russ Diamond of Lebanon County.
And there are more.
All this adds up to what could be one of the most compelling races in the upcoming primary - assuming the media and blogs give it the attention it is due.
It is a good old fashioned free-for-all.
And the winner is already known.
The winner is we the people of Penn's Woods who actually will have a choice when we go to the polls on Election Day.
