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Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell on the Upcoming Midterm Elections

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell joined Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC to discuss the state's pivotal role in the upcoming midterm elections, specifically the Senate race between Joe Sestak and Pat Toomey. Rendell blamed the Democratic Party's reputation as the party of incumbents and Pat Toomey's significant fundraising advantage for Sestak's initial lag behind. However, he expressed confidence in Sestak's ability to gain momentum as he has been on the air and has been getting around the state.

Key Takeaways:

  • Governor Rendell attributed Joe Sestak's initial lag behind Pat Toomey to the Democratic Party's reputation as the party of incumbents and Toomey's significant fundraising advantage.
  • Rendell stated that the Democratic Party has historically been viewed as the party of incumbents, leading to voter dissatisfaction during tough economic times.
  • Rendell attributed Sestak's recent momentum to his being on the air and getting around the state, as well as the overall Democratic momentum throughout the state.
  • Rendell mentioned the gubernatorial candidate, who is also surging, and stated that the momentum is clearly in the right direction, both in Pennsylvania and around the country.
  • Rendell emphasized that Democrats are starting to wake up, particularly in response to Republican candidates' "crazy statements" and emphasized that the upcoming election is a choice, not a referendum on incumbent policies.

Statistics:

  • 1.2 million Democratic registration edge in Pennsylvania (October 18, 2010)
  • Joe Sestak trailed Pat Toomey throughout the campaign (October 18, 2010)
  • 19 congressional districts in Pennsylvania are potentially competitive, with the future of the House potentially resting on the state's outcomes (October 18, 2010)
  • 10 of the 19 congressional districts in Pennsylvania are currently potentially competitive (October 18, 2010)
  • 3-vote margin for Democrats in the state house (October 18, 2010)
  • Chuck Culver, Democratic candidate in Iowa, was down 19 points just a couple of weeks ago but is now down to 8 points and coming on strong (October 18, 2010)

Sources:

  • MSNBC "Andrea Mitchell Reports" interview with Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (October 18, 2010)
  • Federal News Service Inc. (c) 2010 - reproduced with permission

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