Pennsylvania: Ex-Rep. Hoeffel To Run For Governor

By Greg Giroux | September 20, 2009 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former Pennsylvania Rep. Joseph M. Hoeffel is joining what has become a very crowded 2010 Democratic primary for governor.

Hoeffel, who is an elected commissioner in Montgomery County near Philadelphia, on Sunday told the Pennsylvania political blog pa2010.com, "I do intend to run. I'm going to move forward aggressively. I'm in the race and ready to ride."

Hoeffel represented Pennsylvania's 13th District in the House from 1999 through 2004, when he was the losing Democratic nominee for Senate against then-Republican incumbent Arlen Specter.

Hoeffel is the fifth Democrat who has announced plans to run to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Edward G. Rendell. The other candidates are Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, state Auditor General Jack Wagner; Scranton mayor Chris Doherty; and businessman Tom Knox.

The Republican candidates are state Attorney General Tom Corbett and Rep. Jim Gerlach.

The primary elections will be held next May. CQ Politics rates the Pennsylvania governor's race as a tossup.

To follow the 2009 and 2010 governors' races, check out CQ Politics' election map.

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