Chester County Democrats enjoy local Tsunami
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Chester County’s Democrats made strong gains in legislative races Tuesday, winning a clear majority of State House seats and picking up a pair of state Senate seats — not to mention electing a Democrat to represent the entire county in 2019 as well as electing another Democrat to serve the southern part of the county almost immediately.
While the “Blue...
Endorsement: Chrissy Houlahan for Congress
In this year’s race for the new and open Sixth Congressional District seat — a seat that now encompasses all of Chester County as well as the southern portion of Berks County — we have Democrat Chrissy Houlahan facing Republican Greg McCauley, both first-time candidates for office.
Unlike the visceral, top of the ticket races for U.S. Senate and Governor, this race, thankfully, has been more...
Costello’s withdrawal leaves GOP in a tough spot
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Well, okay, then.
By now those of you following local politics know that U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello announced he would not seek reelection and then withdrew from the May 15 primary. He’s been on TV and offered print interviews blaming President Donald Trump, liberals, redistricting and so on as being to blame.
Whatever.
Regardless of the why, Costello’s departure...
Costello isn’t going anywhere — at least until November
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Welcome to a very special, bonus St. Patrick’s Day edition of Politics as Unusual — marking a week where an awful lot was, well, unusual.
Democrat Conor Lamb appears to have beaten Republican Rick Saccone — the current tally separates the two by less than 700 votes — in a strongly Republican performing district (Donald Trump won there by about 20 points...
New Congressional map puts all of Chesco in 6th; GOP to file suit
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
The new Sixth Congressional District.
It seems like almost everyone has an opinion about the new Congressional map issued Monday by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court — predictably, Democrats generally lauded it as fair, while Republicans, including President Donald Trump blasted the new plan and pledged to fight it in Federal Court.
The state court issued the new...
Conflicting accounts cloud incident at Costello home
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello (R-6).
After a local Congressman took to social media over the weekend to allege that two individuals from his opponent’s campaign trespassed at his home, harassed his wife and took pictures — an account in complete variance with that of the individuals involved, it remains unclear exactly what, if anything, occurred on Jan. 13 in a...
GOP Congressman laud tax bill, Democrats decry ‘gift’ for wealthy, donors
The U.S. Senate last night passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — a sweeping revision of U.S. Tax code, that depending on who is talking is either a spark for job and wage growth or a massive, deficit busting giveaway to the rich, political donors and corporate America.
The House voted Tuesday to approve the package, but will have to revote Wednesday because of three provisions in the original bill...
Is a ‘cross-fire hurricane’ bearing down on the 6th District?
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
“I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at the morning driving rain
But it’s all right now, in fact, it’s a gas
But it’s all right. I’m Jumpin’ Jack Flash
It’s a gas, gas, gas”
— The Rolling Stones, Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
It’s pretty clear that politics over the next 18 or so months will be anything but calm,...
