Senate hopefuls eye Schwartz seat
by MICHAEL J. MISHAK
She's going for it.
In an interview with the Local last Friday, State Rep. LeAnna Washington confirmed her candidacy for the 4th District State Senate seat being vacated by Allyson Schwartz, who won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in last week's general election.
Cindy Bass, senior policy advisor to U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, also declared her candidacy to the newspaper in an interview on Monday.
Washington, who won a sixth term as representative of the 200th House District in an unopposed race on Nov. 2, has emerged as the favored frontrunner in a group of rumored Senate hopefuls that include Ruth Damsker, a Montgomery County commissioner, and State Rep. Larry Curry, a Democrat whose district spans both Philadelphia and Montgomery County.
Also, the Local learned late Tuesday morning that U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, a Democrat who vacated his seat to challenge U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, might be seriously considering a run.
On the Republican side, State Rep. Ellen Bard, who sought her party's nomination in the 13th Congressional District race, has been rumored as a potential candidate. Bard, whose term in the House expires this year, could draw Republican votes from Abington in Montgomery County and Chestnut Hill and West Mt. Airy in Philadelphia.
Schwartz, whose term expires in 2006, will serve until the Congressional inauguration in early January. Within 10 days after the vacancy, the president pro tempore of the Senate, Robert Jubelirer (R., District 30), will call for a special election to be held no sooner than 60 days from the departure of Schwartz and two of her Senate colleagues.
The Nov. 2 general election created two other vacancies in the state Senate. Charles Dent, a Republican, was elected to the U.S. Congress. Jack Wagner, a Democrat, was elected state auditor general. Since the cost of special elections is borne by the affected counties, all three will most likely be conducted during next year's May primary. The 4th District constituency will be without a senatorial representative in Harrisburg for more than four months.
Unlike a traditional primary where the electorate nominates their party's candidate for the general election, a specially convened caucus of the Senate district's ward leaders will select a party nominee.
While that nomination process does not officially begin until January, potential candidates are already jockeying for position in the eight Philadelphia wards that could determine the Democratic nominee. Ward officials in the district's Montgomery County townships, including Abington and Cheltenham, will also cast votes.
Though the district's Democratic registration advantage all but guarantees the seat will remain blue, party officials from Philadelphia and Montgomery County have yet to agree on a nomination process, according to a Democratic source familiar with the race.
"It's going to be a mess," the source said.
At issue is how city and suburban votes will be counted. In Philadelphia, a ward's vote is equal to its number of divisions, but Montgomery County has no comparable system.
According to the party source, there is a faction of Philadelphia officials who do not want a joint process. In terms of registered voters, the city holds a considerable advantage over Montgomery County within the district.
Though the Pennsylvania Democratic Committee settles on an official nominee, it looks to local leadership for a consensus choice. The Northwest's Democratic ward leaders are distinguished for their roles as independent operators, most free from the shackles of patronage.
If the special election were held during the May primary, voter turnout could be spurred by a serious challenge to District Attorney Lynne Abraham, a Democratic incumbent. Without a notable citywide race, voter turnout during the party primary is expected to be low.
Monday saw Washington in Chestnut Hill, presenting sizable checks to the Water Tower Recreation Center Advisory Board and to the Chestnut Hill Youth Sports Club. She was forthright when asked what she thought she could bring to the state Senate.
"I think with my experience, I'm not going in there as a freshman. I'm bringing my experience with me, and it also means that I will have even more resources to bring back to the community," she told the Local.
The switch from the House to the Senate would raise Washington's already-notable profile.
"It's better to be one of 50 than it is to be one of 253," said Larry Ceisler, a longtime Democratic consultant and political strategist. "It's one of the best political jobs available. There will be a lot of maneuvering for this thing," he said of the Senate seat.
Washington, 59, is the first woman to chair the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, a position she has held since 2001. Also, she has been a vocal advocate for the aged and sits on the Judiciary, Appropriations and Transportation committees in the House. She has served in the House since 1993.
While Washington has worked with influential Democrats like State Rep. Dwight Evans and enjoys popular support from some of the district's ward leaders (four are solidly in her camp, the Democratic source said), rival candidate Cindy Bass has ties to the departing senator.
Bass, 37, was Schwartz's senior special assistant for three years before joining Congressman Fattah's office in February 2002. In both positions, Bass said she has been instrumental in communicating constituent need to her respective bosses. Also, Bass founded the Turnout Tuesday Coalition, a get-out-the-vote group, last year for the city's mayoral election. This year, Bass said her group's efforts aided unprecedented turnout in many of the Northwest's voting divisions on Nov. 2.
Bass claims strong Northwest roots, citing her position as president of East Mt. Airy Neighbors and as the first employee of Mt. Airy USA. She sees the nomination process as an opportunity to discuss the direction of the district. "It's not only about continuing Allyson's legacy, but expanding it," Bass said in a phone interview.
While the district's Democratic voters are largely powerless to directly nominate either candidate, constituents can "hold the political leadership accountable," she said. "This is not a popularity contest. This is about who's best for the district."
Montgomery County Commissioner Ruth Damsker, another rumored candidate, did not return calls seeking comment.
Schwartz said she didn't favor any particular successor. "The political process will decide the candidate," she said in a conference call with reporters last Friday. "I will be happy to work closely with whoever wins to advance work on healthcare, jobs and education."
Democratic ward leaders interviewed by the Local were either non-committal or tight-lipped about their choice for the Senate nominee. Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, 59th Ward Leader, and Vernon Price, 22nd Ward Leader, said that two of the area's politically influential groups, Northwest Renaissance and Northwest Action Committee, would eventually rally around a single candidate. The groups claim at least two other ward leaders, Miller said.
"We're losing a pretty good state senator," said John O'Connell, 9th Ward Democratic leader. "My only hope is that whoever gets the job would be a good progressive Democrat, and at least have the qualifications [Schwartz] brought to the district."
