Bristol Township's 'Pro Team' Holds Fundraiser At Local Bar

While their opponents held a fund-raising event at the Kings Catering Banquet Hall, the Pro team met in a small expansion of a local sport's bar.

While attendees began to appear at the bar, staff at Hurricane Jacks in Fairless Hills prepared the room for the meet-and-greet. The food was warmed, the tables were set up and when seating ran short, ornate table-cloths were spread across two billiard tables to accommodate the crowd.

“I'm not going to stand around in a suit like them (Bristol Township Council) like I'm some big-shot. I'm a regular guy, I'm one of them (the average voter),” said candidate Troy Brennan. His flannel button-up and faded blue jeans blended into the crowd of just under 100 voters.

With just seven days left before the primary election, the meet-and-greet was the Pro-Team's last hoorah to help garner support and talk politics.

Several of the candidates themselves were almost a half-an-hour late to their own party. To questions regarding where they were, Gerald Lykon, now running the Bristol Township Business Coalition, said they were out "doing what they usually do; knocking on doors.”

According to candidates Craig Bowen and Troy Brennan, their campaigns have consisted almost exclusively of grass-roots efforts -- single-handedly knocking on every door they could find, almost every day of the week. So far, they claim to have talked to around 5,000 residents.

“Knocking on doors to us is the secret weapon, not smear tactics or anything underhanded like that. It's all about getting through to people,” Brennan said.

Smear tactics, Brennan says, is exactly what their opponents have attempted to do to counteract their campaign. The current endorsed Democratic party, including current council-members Linda Tarlini and Raymond Blalock, sent out a flyer against the Pro-Team a week prior.

The flyer accused Brennan and company of being “Fake Democrats,” alleging that they were originally registered Republicans who switched to increase the likelihood of election.

Candidate Joe Glasson admits to having switched his party affiliation when running.

“I was a registered Republican (prior to his campaign). But even before that, I was a registered Democrat. To call me a 'Republican scammer' is ludicrous,” Glasson said.

The flyer also accused them of planning to raise residential taxes, something Glasson said is completely unfounded.

“I would never, never, never ever raise residential taxes to of-set a budget deficit,” Glasson said. “We are trying to increase the commercial-industrial revenue so that we can eventually lead to even lower residential tax rates.”

Supporters remain hopeful that the candidates will win the primary on Tuesday, May 17.

“This township has needed change since 1983. I hope in my heart the people of Bristol wake up and vote these guys in,” Beau Pustiak said.

Lykon see's the the growing fervor of voters, both at the meet-and-greet and on the street, as a sign of potential change for the township's politics.

“They've been getting great support out there. I tell you, if everybody who's said they were going to vote for us, does it'll be a landslide," Lykon said.