The primary race to determine Rep. Allyson Schwartz's successor to her seat in Pennsylvania's 13th District is heating up, with less than two weeks before the vote. And Daily Kos
endorsee Daylin Leach is campaigning hard on his strong progressive record. That includes running a
new ad that shows his record in sharp contrast with his opponents.
One of those opponents, former Rep. Marjories Margolies, is definitely the Third Way-type candidate, who wants to represent the "moderate middle"—which is kind of bizarre, given how liberal this district is—and who is just fine with cutting Social Security. Maybe the fact that she's not in step with the district is why Margolies is spending so little time actually campaigning in the district. She is, however, fundraising. With a Baronness Lynn Forester de Rothschild. Because nothing says "I'm in touch with my constituents" like hanging out with baronesses. And nothing says "I'm a Democrat" like getting the baronness who endorsed the McCain/Palin 2008 ticket to fundraise for you. That and trying to get the charity you head to lease a mansion for you to live in.
Meanwhile, another opponent has made history. State Rep. Brendan Boyle is the first candidate that EMILY's List and NARAL Pro-Choice America have teamed up together to defeat—Democrat or Republican. That's because Boyle is an anti-choice "All Star", though he still calls himself "pro-choice." As Huffington Post reports, Boyle "voted for a bill in 2011 that required all abortion clinics in Pennsylvania to become ambulatory surgical centers, or mini-hospitals." That legislation passed, and five clinics providing safe and legal abortions have been forced to close because they couldn't afford to upgrade their facilities to meet that requirement. He also introduced legislation requiring abortion physicians to have admitting privileges at a local hospital, a bureaucratic hurdle that limits physicians' ability to provide services.
There's yet another candidate, physician Val Arkoosh, who has the advantage of having no record whatsoever and is running on that fact. Arkoosh lacks Leach's solid record of progressive accomplishments that just got more impressive. In my last post, I wrote about Leach's efforts get the governor to agree to discuss medical marijuana legislation to help children with debilitating seizures. Then this happened, right after Leach had his meeting with the governor: "Gov. Tom Corbett remains opposed to legalizing marijuana for medical use but now makes one exception: the use of a marijuana extract to treat severe seizures in children, his office said Thursday."
That's getting a result, the kind of result that actually fits with this district. Leach has the track record that shows he could become one of the most effective progressive voices in Congress. All he has to do is make it through this primary.
The primary is just a little more than a week away, on May 20. Let's help get Daylin Leach over the top and into Congress in January, 2015.