Anyone have any thoughts as to the likely nominees for the 131st? I know that the Dems nominated Linda Minger, treasurer from Sailsbury. But how about the Reps?
We had a few awesome candidates to pick from but the local parties gave into Harrisburg and selected Karen Beyer. What a Joke!?! She is a liberal school board member and has some serious social and personal problems, but I guess the fact that she is a liberal pro-choice woman who will easily be a puppet if elected won the day.
Linda Minger, though not exactly conservative, is in a league far above Beyer. With her class and 20 years of experience, combined with the her knowledge of how to run an organized grassroots campaign, Minger should have no problem at all giving Beyer a trouncing.
By the way, in Morning Call article covering Beyers selection as the GOP candidate, she is quoted as saying she has knocked on more than 2000 doors during the past two weeks. What a load of crap and she is already getting local heat for making that claim.
This is one Republican who will be holding my nose and voting for Minger.
Personally, I'm glad you think Minger is a stronger candidate, but I'm inclined to think that the HDCC will bungle this race worse than the Senate Dems bungled Jennifer Mann's campaign. Minger is a good candidate but no candidate can overcome the ineptitude of the HDCC. Harrisburg dems need to stop trying to run campaigns and needs to start trying to help with fundraising and steering other resources toward campaigns. Physically running a campaign is a terrible idea and that what the HDCC typically does.
Its no different than what HRCC does. Don't get me wrong normally I would be pulling for the Republican, but my loyalty lies with my conscience and with a political party.
I think SRCC is much stronger than HRCC, and look what happend in Monroe County in the race to replace Kelly Lewis. That was an election that was pretty much a given for the R's to win and yet HRCC managed to find a way to screw it up.
I guess this election will come down to who crews up worse, HRCC or DRCC. But in this case I personally believe that Minger is many notches above Beyer and it is my belief that Minger's many strengths can carry her through. You may not know the Republican candidate, and normally I hold my tongue when I dislike a GOP candidate, but it will be a very sad day if a candidate like that advaces to higher office, especially when we had two other very high caliber choices.
And who might those two canidates be? Are you aware that your heroine Linda Minger filed a sexual harassment suit against Salisbury Township? A saint she ain't!
Saint I never said she was. I doubt there is anyone running office that is entitled to the title of Saint. What I did say was that Minger is much more qualified than Karen Beyer. And while you say Minger sued the township, Mrs. Beyer has a series of personal problems of her own.
Republican committee members from Lehigh and Northampton counties wanted to put up Rodger Schmoyer who is a commissioner from Salisbury and he was ready to run. His track record and experience would have been a good match against Minger, but local leaders gave in to the pressure from Harrisburg and instead put up Beyer. Not because of her experience or intellect, in fact she is lacking in both, but because she is a liberal, pro-choice woman who can be controlled. I think this was a critical error in Judgement, as Beyer seem will seem like such a lightweight when compared to Minger. Indeed Minger is not a Saint, but she is far better than Beyer and should not have a problem making this a Dem pickup.
Very interesting... It looks like the HRCC and the HDCC managed to impact this race from the get go... the HDCC scared away a candidate that many in the county thought would win the blessing of both the state and the county establishment and the HRCC seems to have done a doosy in recruiting (though I have to wonder if choosing a pro choice republican would allow her to be "controlled"... she sounds like a loose cannon honestly). BTW, perhaps the reason Kelly's seat was lost to a D was b/c the HDCC pulled out 2 weeks before the election while the HRCC stayed in town... the first one out the door wins the election b/c they didn't screw it up as badly. Just a thought.
As far as the sexual harassment case goes, I'm not sure of the details, but if Minger filed the suit, then blaming the victim is a terrible political decision. If she's the person who caused a sexual harassment case to be filed against the township, then we're talking a different ball game, one that I'd admittedly be interested in hearing. Blaming an alleged sexual harassment victim would be like making fun of a recovering alcoholic and we all know the backlash that created for Mann.
Its Minger's lucky day! Karen Beyer has late night TV Spots running paid for by Republican State Committee which means HRCC is already calling the shots for her.
You last statement about her being a loose cannon is true. She really is and has really gotten herself worked up in meetings. But she only treats the locals that way, she has always kissed the asses of those in Harrisburg, which is probably why they put so much pressure on the local parties to select her, and why the local parties wanted somebody else.
It would seem to me with HRCC calling the shots so early, if Minger can find a way to accept the DRCC money without giving them full control of her day to day operations, she will be in good shape. I am not sure about DRCC, but HRCC demands and expects full and complete control, and Karen Beyer being the ass kissing puppet that she is will be all too willing to give it to them.
I saw the ad myself (it was paid for by the HRCC, not the state party, unless I read wrong). It looked like one of Pat Browne's from the senate election, just cut Pat and paste Karen. I have a feeling any Democratic ad will do the same with Minger and Mann. I have to ask, however, why these campaigns are using TV so early. With such a compact district and a limited turnout to come of it, I would expect Direct Mail. I'm sure they'll use it, but I would literally use no TV, only radio for broadcast media. Otherwise, stick to narrowcasting.
I've only worked the the HDCC in one race and it was in Montco not the LV. They provided one staffer who was so inexperienced and disfunctional that the candidate said he would rather have nothing than her. He literally took nothing. I've worked mostly with the Senate Dems If they are anything like the Senate Dems, they will demand FULL control of everything. The field office at Mann's campaign had one Mann staffer. The other 6-8 running around (or acting like James Carville) were Harrisburg staffers on loan. Like any loan, you have to pay for it and Mann paid dearly in the end.
I've heard some information about Beyer from those who serve on the Saucon Valley school board with her. Her record on taxes, if she decides to boast it in specifics, is a real shortcoming, even though she voted against every budget that raised taxes. Instead, she voted for 80% of the budget amendments that would increase taxes, only to vote against the final package. She's crafty, but a flyer that says "Beyer voted to raise taxes X times" with credibility is powerful for somebody running on the pro-taxpayer platform. Her public decorum was never a question however. She was always said to be extremely professional, just very calculating and everybody in the room knew it.
I'm still interested to hear about the lawsuit that involved Minger. Anybody have any juicy details. Come on, keep the juice flowing!!!
I agree with your depiction of Beyer on the School Board. Hopefully Minger is smart enough (or DRCC if they are calling the shots) to use it in an effective way.
I guess most people would not know of Beyer's personal shortcomings, it is something that has been seen mostly at GOP functions etc, though I think in the context of a campaign she may have a hard time masking them. Though I am not one to gossip about what they are, I am sure there are planty of people who are already singing like a canary.
I was suprised also to see TV ads so early. This will be interesting race not about who the better candidate is it would seem , but rather who screws up worse, the HRCC or the DRCC.
Guess there weren't enough canaries out there singing about Karen Beyer's "personal shortcomings" and "serious social and personal problems". Dist. 131 nows gets to experience Karen Beyer in all her glory. We've tired of her in Saucon Valley school district so now you get to have her! You will find her to be the most smarmy of all politicians. She'll mock people in public while she's in the audience and they're speaking. She will sue you if she needs something from you (go ask her neighbors) and will not care if you are undergoing cancer treatments while she sues you (go ask her neighbors). She has no morals. She will promise promise promise but not deliver if it doesn't buy her votes. Thank god she's out of our school board!!
Its when Republicans elect a Karen Beyer kind of Republican that I really take a look at the voter reg form I have sitting on my desk. I can not believe that our leadership would even accociate with such a shady character, let alone fight so hard to elect her.
Not to worry though. She has a real problem keeping her mouth shut and now that she is much more public than school board, she will no doubt give her 2006 rival much to use against her.
A previous poster said is best! Don't take our word for just go talk to those that live around her. Which begs the question?? How did Linda Minger's lawsuit get a morning call article but the fact that Beyer sues everybody she can not even get an honorable mention? Where was the press on that one?? Good Grief!
Peter Schweyer told me himself the night of the special House election that he does not intend to run for the State House again. Had he been nominated, what could he be attacked on except the issues, which is what an election should be about to begin with? Lehigh County Executive Cabinet member Kenneth Mohr put his name in on the late side of the nomination process.
Mohr is a former County Commissioner for the 5th district, which includes all of the Lehigh County suburban municipalities of the current 131st, as well as Fountain Hill and the LC portion of Bethlehem. He once carried all municipalities in the 5th and may very well be our strongest potential candidate. He told me that he is not seeking employment with the Cunningham administration and that running in 2006 for State House is a strong possibility.
In case you wondered, Kerry carried the 131st by over 600 votes.
Unfortunately, Mohr has decided not to run since he wants to avoid a primary (with Minger running again) and he doesn't see the party taking the opportunity seriously enough. Meanwhile, Allentown City Council President David Howells Sr. told me that he's considering a run. He lives in Mountainville's Precinct 19-5 and, unlike Minger, will do well in the city.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether a primary challenge to Beyer will emerge.
Howells is not running, and both Rodger Schmoyer and Kevin Ryan considered running for the GOP nomination, but decided not to. It looks like we'll skip the primary race straight to a Beyer-Minger rematch.
