PA 6 - Melissa Fitzgerald is not running.

[Keystone Phil]

Can't reveal how I know but I do know for a fact that she isn't running. For those that don't knew her, she is an actress from The West Wing.

One less potential candidate for Gerlach = good news.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Gerlach would have kicked the living **** out of her anyways.

[MarkWarner08]

"Senator Dinniman, Rep. Van Hollen is on line one..."

[TeePee4Prez]

"Senator Dinniman, Rep. Van Hollen is on line one..."

Well, I'd hate to give up a Senate seat which would lean GOP, BUT we have little shot of taking the PA Senate anyway so I think Mr. Van Hollen will call him.

[bullmoose88]

"Senator Dinniman, Rep. Van Hollen is on line one..."

Well, I'd hate to give up a Senate seat which would lean GOP, BUT we have little shot of taking the PA Senate anyway so I think Mr. Van Hollen will call him.

I think the Democrats best hope of eventually taking the PA Senate is to hope that the Collar Counties around Philadelphia become less Republican on the local level...which is happening, but only very slowly.

[MarkWarner08]

"Senator Dinniman, Rep. Van Hollen is on line one..."

Well, I'd hate to give up a Senate seat which would lean GOP, BUT we have little shot of taking the PA Senate anyway so I think Mr. Van Hollen will call him.

I think the Democrats best hope of eventually taking the PA Senate is to hope that the Collar Counties around Philadelphia become less Republican on the local level...which is happening, but only very slowly.

So I should expect a headline like this: "Democrats sweep 2038 midterms; PA Dems within one seat in State Senate."

[Keystone Phil]

"Senator Dinniman, Rep. Van Hollen is on line one..."

Well, I'd hate to give up a Senate seat which would lean GOP, BUT we have little shot of taking the PA Senate anyway so I think Mr. Van Hollen will call him.

I think the Democrats best hope of eventually taking the PA Senate is to hope that the Collar Counties around Philadelphia become less Republican on the local level...which is happening, but only very slowly.

So I should expect a headline like this: "Democrats sweep 2038 midterms; PA Dems within one seat in State Senate."

Haha, basically. I know the Dems will take one Senate seat next year out west (a seat they lost in 2004 that they never should have lost anyway) but we can live with a 28-22 majority. 

[Mr.Phips]

"Senator Dinniman, Rep. Van Hollen is on line one..."

Well, I'd hate to give up a Senate seat which would lean GOP, BUT we have little shot of taking the PA Senate anyway so I think Mr. Van Hollen will call him.

I think the Democrats best hope of eventually taking the PA Senate is to hope that the Collar Counties around Philadelphia become less Republican on the local level...which is happening, but only very slowly.

So I should expect a headline like this: "Democrats sweep 2038 midterms; PA Dems within one seat in State Senate."

Haha, basically. I know the Dems will take one Senate seat next year out west (a seat they lost in 2004 that they never should have lost anyway) but we can live with a 28-22 majority. 

Im betting that they gain one in the PA House too.

[Keystone Phil]

"Senator Dinniman, Rep. Van Hollen is on line one..."

Well, I'd hate to give up a Senate seat which would lean GOP, BUT we have little shot of taking the PA Senate anyway so I think Mr. Van Hollen will call him.

I think the Democrats best hope of eventually taking the PA Senate is to hope that the Collar Counties around Philadelphia become less Republican on the local level...which is happening, but only very slowly.

So I should expect a headline like this: "Democrats sweep 2038 midterms; PA Dems within one seat in State Senate."

Haha, basically. I know the Dems will take one Senate seat next year out west (a seat they lost in 2004 that they never should have lost anyway) but we can live with a 28-22 majority. 

Im betting that they gain one in the PA House too.

Sure, they'll gain a few seats but the GOP is going to have a net gain.

[Mr.Phips]

"Senator Dinniman, Rep. Van Hollen is on line one..."

Well, I'd hate to give up a Senate seat which would lean GOP, BUT we have little shot of taking the PA Senate anyway so I think Mr. Van Hollen will call him.

I think the Democrats best hope of eventually taking the PA Senate is to hope that the Collar Counties around Philadelphia become less Republican on the local level...which is happening, but only very slowly.

So I should expect a headline like this: "Democrats sweep 2038 midterms; PA Dems within one seat in State Senate."

Haha, basically. I know the Dems will take one Senate seat next year out west (a seat they lost in 2004 that they never should have lost anyway) but we can live with a 28-22 majority. 

Im betting that they gain one in the PA House too.

Sure, they'll gain a few seats but the GOP is going to have a net gain.

Why do you say that?  What Democrats will retire?

[Keystone Phil]

Why do you say that?  What Democrats will retire?

I don't know of any Dems retiring...yet. However, some first term Dems are going to be vulnerable.

[Mr.Phips]

Why do you say that?  What Democrats will retire?

I don't know of any Dems retiring...yet. However, some first term Dems are going to be vulnerable.

Looking at the map, there are a lot of Republicans in increasingly Dem leaning areas like Bucks county, Chester county and the Lehigh Valley that are not going to be able to hold on forever.  Odds favor a Democratic House and eventually a Democratic Senate in PA.  On the other hand, most of the seats that Democrats picked up were in areas that are trending increasingly their way.

[Keystone Phil]

Why do you say that?  What Democrats will retire?

I don't know of any Dems retiring...yet. However, some first term Dems are going to be vulnerable.

Looking at the map, there are a lot of Republicans in increasingly Dem leaning areas like Bucks county, Chester county and the Lehigh Valley that are not going to be able to hold on forever.  Odds favor a Democratic House and eventually a Democratic Senate in PA.  On the other hand, most of the seats that Democrats picked up were in areas that are trending increasingly their way.

The GOP can't hold on to those SE PA seats forever but that doesn't mean the Dems will be guaranteed to pick them up. Also, the GOP will take some of the seats out west. We'll have to wait and see.

Your comment about the Dems eventually winning the Senate is true. Of course it will happen at some point but not in the forseeable future. The GOP has a good hold on the most vulnerable seats.

The seats the Dems have picked up are not going their way, at least not the seats out west.

[Mr.Phips]

Why do you say that?  What Democrats will retire?

I don't know of any Dems retiring...yet. However, some first term Dems are going to be vulnerable.

Looking at the map, there are a lot of Republicans in increasingly Dem leaning areas like Bucks county, Chester county and the Lehigh Valley that are not going to be able to hold on forever.  Odds favor a Democratic House and eventually a Democratic Senate in PA.  On the other hand, most of the seats that Democrats picked up were in areas that are trending increasingly their way.

The GOP can't hold on to those SE PA seats forever but that doesn't mean the Dems will be guaranteed to pick them up. Also, the GOP will take some of the seats out west. We'll have to wait and see.

Your comment about the Dems eventually winning the Senate is true. Of course it will happen at some point but not in the forseeable future. The GOP has a good hold on the most vulnerable seats.

The seats the Dems have picked up are not going their way, at least not the seats out west.

Maybe not the ones in the west, but the ones in the east sure are.

[Keystone Phil]

Maybe not the ones in the west, but the ones in the east sure are.

Trending their way in the east? Sure. There's no denying that. However, that doesn't mean that those seats are safe pickups for the Dems just as the ones out west aren't sure gains for the GOP.

[Mr.Phips]

Maybe not the ones in the west, but the ones in the east sure are.

Trending their way in the east? Sure. There's no denying that. However, that doesn't mean that those seats are safe pickups for the Dems just as the ones out west aren't sure gains for the GOP.

Im just saying that the changes in seats will probably benefit Democrats more than Republicans in the state.