Taubenberger
Joe DeFelice, executive director of the Philadelphia Republican Party, criticized the campaign of Democratic mayoral nominee Jim Kenney for its role in a supporter’s email that violated the Home Rule Charter restriction on political activity.
The Kenney campaign asked the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club to send out a press release condemning comments on the U.S. Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling made by a campaign donor to Republican mayoral nominee Melissa Murray Bailey.
The release was sent out by Cameron Kline, who is spokesman for District Attorney Seth Williams.
The city Board of Ethics fined Kline $600 for sending the release and another one announcing Liberty City’s primary endorsements. He must also attend ethics training. He has resigned from Liberty City’s board.
“Seeing that Kenney’s campaign asked for this release to be sent out shows just how scared they are of Melissa Murray Bailey and her message of creating a better Philadelphia for everyone, not just those in the neighborhoods of the haves, where Jim Kenney’s donors reside,” DeFelice said. “Melissa wants to improve the neighborhoods of this city that have floundered under years of Democrat control.”
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Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedics Union Local 22 has endorsed Al Taubenberger, a Republican candidate for an at-large City Council seat.
“I hold the brave men and women of the Philadelphia Fire Department in the highest regard and, as councilman, will fight to make sure they receive the support, resources and respect they deserve,” Taubenberger said.
“The men and women of Firefighters and Paramedics Union Local 22 appreciate Al Taubenberger’s support and commitment to advocating on our behalf as a future member of City Council,” said Local 22 President Andrew Thomas. “Al has always had great respect for the city’s firefighters and all first responders. We know he’ll always have our backs, and that’s why we are pleased and proud to endorse Al for City Council.”
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Meanwhile, Thomas issued the following joint statement with Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 president John McNesby announcing that they will not be supporting the re-election of Republicans at-large Councilman David Oh.
“It has been brought to our attention that incumbent City Councilman David Oh continues to claim through his campaign website and literature that he is endorsed by Philadelphia’s police and firefighter unions. He most assuredly has NOT received our respective endorsements for the November 3rd General Election, nor will he be receiving our endorsements. It is utterly shameful and disingenuous of Councilman Oh to be falsely claiming our endorsements for his own political gain. Today we call upon Councilman Oh to immediately cease and desist using our respective union logos and names on his campaign website and in all campaign literature.”
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U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey announced his re-election bid at a hotel in King of Prussia.
The emcee was David Taylor, president of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association. Others on hand included Chris Gheysens, CEO of Wawa; Dr. Maria McColgan, an East Torresdale resident who serves as the director of the Child Protection Program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children; and John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5.
Toomey reaffirmed his commitment to standing with Pennsylvania’s law enforcement officers and enacting policies that enhance safeguards to protect children across the country.
“I worked with Mike Fitzpatrick, Congressman Fitzpatrick, from Bucks County, a great guy. We’ve made progress on legislation that will protect kids from violent sexual predators,” he said. “John McNesby made the point that I’ve consistently stood up and stood for the police who are being unfairly maligned and scapegoating. You know the fact is that police are not causing the crime wave that’s hitting America, they are protecting us from it.”
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Standing on the roof of his house, Braddock Mayor John Fetterman announced he is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
“You can sum up why we have to take on this fight right now in just one word: inequality. It’s inequality in income. Inequality in wealth. Inequality in housing. Inequality in opportunity. Inequality in healthcare, even inequality in the air we breathe. We can’t just accept that this kind of inequality is just how it’s going to be,” he said.
Fetterman was born in Reading to teenage parents, grew up in York and graduated from Albright College, where he played football and was class president. He has an MBA from the University of Connecticut and a master’s in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Fetterman was first elected mayor of Braddock, in Allegheny County, in 2005. He and his wife have three children.
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ChamberPAC, the political arm of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, announced its endorsement of Republicans Anne Covey, Michael George and Judy Olson for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
“The ChamberPAC-endorsed judicial candidates will be excellent additions to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Judges Covey, George and Olson all have a strong record of community involvement, leadership and judicial experience that will help make Pennsylvania’s legal system fairer and more efficient,” said Gene Barr, president and CEO of the organization.
Covey was elected a Commonwealth Court judge in 2011. Her legal experience includes more than 25 years practicing civil law.
George is president judge for the Adams County Court of Common Pleas. He is a former Adams County district attorney.
Olson is a judge on the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
Other candidates in the race are Democrats Kevin Dougherty, David Wecht and Christine Donohue and independent Paul Panepinto.
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PAMPAC, the bipartisan political action committee of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, has endorsed Republican Emil Giordano for Superior Court.
Giordano serves on the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas, a position he has held since 2003. Prior to being elected, he served as an assistant district attorney, assistant public defender, civil litigator and as lead counsel in his private law practice.
Giordano resides in Bethlehem with his wife, Tina, and his two sons, Joseph and Caden.
Giordano faces Democrat Alice Beck Dubow, a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge.
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The Pennsylvania Home Builders Association Political Action Committee has endorsed Republican Paul Lalley for Commonwealth Court.
ldquo;We strongly believe that the Commonwealth Court will benefit from Paul Lalley’s passion for the law, experience and integrity,” the committee said in a statement.
Lalley is an attorney with Campbell, Durrant, Beatty, Palombo and Miller in Allegheny County. He focuses on labor and employment, municipal law/school law and appellate law. He received a “Highly Recommended” rating from the Allegheny County Bar Association and “Recommended” rating from the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Lalley, a Montgomery County native, is married with two daughters.
The Democratic candidate is Pittsburgh lawyer Michael Wojcik. ••
