Pa. 2014 Election a ‘Toss-up,’ Cook Report Says

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent

HARRISBURG —

Corbett’s 2014 outlook downgraded

The gubernatorial election of 2014 may feel like light-years away for voters, but it’s not stopping politicos from taking a look at the early slate of candidates.

Cook Political Report, a national campaign forecaster, downgraded the viability of Corbett retaining his seat.

The 2014 Pennsylvania governor’s race is now considered a “toss-up” instead of “Lean Republican.”

It might not just be the crystal ball, as the latest poll numbers from Quinnipiac University Polling Institute show Corbett faces a tough road to getting voters on his side by 2014.

The mid-March poll found Pennsylvania voters say 53 to 35 percent that Corbett does not deserve reelection next year. And 49 percent of voters give Corbett an unfavorable opinion, versus 39 percent who say their opinion is favorable.

But Corbett’s recent leadership on liquor privatization could end up boosting those numbers with Pennsylvanians who support the concept. The House has passed the legislation Thursday, a high water mark for privatization in a decades-old fight. If the issue goes over well with the state Senate and results in real changes to the state-controlled wine and spirits system, it could be a much-needed win for the first term governor.

Democrats from all corners of the state are seizing on Corbett’s perceived vulnerability. This week saw the emergence of Max Myers, a central Pennsylvania Democrat with a background in ministry who is beginning to tour the state in support of his campaign.

Myers and former Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger are the only declared candidates, but the list of potential candidates is quite long.

Also, Kathleen McGinty, another former secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, will form an exploratory committee, as reported by PoliticsPA.

McGinty joins Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, D-Montgomery, State Treasurer Rob McCord, former congressman Joe Sestak and former Secretary of Revenue Tom Wolfe as potential challengers to Corbett.

The same mid-March Quinnipiac poll that showed Corbett well underwater with the state’s voters also pointed to Schwartz and Sestak as the frontrunners in the Democratic field.

Corbett may also have a primary challenger, as Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce Castor has said he is considering a run.

Regardless of who is in the seat, the job pays well. A recent survey from a California state commission found Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial salary is the highest in the nation.

Contact Melissa Daniels at melissa@paindependent.com