Sources: US Rep. Costello to drop out of PA-6 race before May primary

[DonViejo]

Source: City & State Pennsylvania




By: RYAN BRIGGS
MAR 24, 2018 AT 12:34 PM

Sources have told City&State PA that Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello has decided not to seek reelection in Pennsylvania’s hotly contested Sixth Congressional District.

Despite filing petitions on Tuesday to run for another term, four Republican sources said Costello indicated at a recent meeting with state and local GOP officials that he intends to drop out of the race in the weeks before the May Primary. The sources all spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the meeting.

Costello reportedly met with state party chair Val DiGiorgio, former 6th District Congressman Jim Gerlach and several other top Republicans early Friday. According to sources, he indicated that he intended to seek a job in the private sector rather than face a costly reelection fight.

Long pegged by opponents as a particularly vulnerable Republican incumbent, the two-term Congressman had reportedly been eyeing an exit for weeks. While Costello eventually submitted petitions in time to make it on the ballot, Republican sources described the last-minute effort as both hurried and half-hearted – even the Congressman seemed unsure if he would see the campaign through.


Read more: http://www.cityandstatepa.com/content/sources-us-rep-costello-drop-out-pa-6-race-may-primary#.WraFW7KVEMc.twitter

[brooklynite]

1. ...which appears to throw thee nomination to Greg McCauley - Attorney & Businessman

vs. Democrat Chrissy Houlahan in a now Toss-up district

[Stallion]

2. Now He Can Accept Legal Bribes from the Pharmaceutical Lobby

[SergeStorms]

3. Well, if you can't cheat anymore......

what's the sense of running? Those gerrymandered districts were a wonderful thing. For Republicans.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. The new 6th contains Reading, PA

which has 87,000 folks and is over 60% Hispanic. Previous gerrymandering drew the district around Reading to purposefully eliminate that powerful demographic and dilute it with the most rural parts of Lancaster County -

Old 6th Congressional -


The current map has now incorporated Reading and that changes the dynamic significantly despite the fact that Chester county is also rural but has been developed like crazy into a Philly suburb over the past 20 or so years, so it's character has been shifting. Even the (small) city of West Chester is about 25% minority vs the (small) city of Coatesville that is 75% minority -

New 6th Congressional-


The district is now essentially the wealthier Chester County population balancing with the poorer town of Reading. If somehow, some way, a big GOTV can happen in Reading and some of the more minority-majority towns in the district, this seat could be a pickup.

[DeminPennswoods]

5. If the new 6th was R leaning, Costello would

have never dropped out. PolitcsPA had it rumored a couple days ago that PA GOP was worried about Costello dropping out. I don't think the state Rs can replace him since it's before the primary so they're stuck with whoever is still on the ballot.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Well check this out -

I posted here - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1074&pid=10704

New 6th Congressional District -


https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/19/upshot/pennsylvania-new-house-districts-gerrymandering.html

Need we say more?

(ETA- just gotta get folks to get up and vote - notably in Reading)

[DeminPennswoods]

9. I know, it was ridiculous how Reading was cracked into

Lancaster County.

[modrepub]

12. From Berks County

I wouldn't hang my hat on the people of Reading to help carry this district for the Dems. Berks County has been consistently Repub for decades mainly because of the abysmal showing in the Reading precincts. Unless the Dems spend a lot of capital registering voters, getting those voters to show up on election days and developing local candidates and ward bosses who can generate enthusiasm don't count on a lot of votes from this area. I say this with Peace and Love

[BumRushDaShow]

13. "Unless the Dems spend a lot of capital registering voters"

This has not just been an issue for Reading. It has been an issue with Democratic party pockets of voters nationwide. And it is TIME for that to change.

Conor Lamb won his election by going door to door. That needs to happen in Reading. As a note, the new District is now predominately Chester County vs Lancaster (or Berks), so there is a different dynamic going on that you can see in the party voting demographics on that map.

And yes, I understand about the Ward bosses because here in Philly, they can be and often are corrupt as hell. But then push come to shove, if they have something they really want (a win), they can get out there and muster the troops as they say.

I think PA's problem has been a weak state party - probably from being continually beaten down and trying to navigate against such a strong wave of pure, unadulterated RW propaganda that has infested the state via hate talk radio and Faux. And then add to that the "power corrupts" thing that happens to our side just as much as the other (and those who are generally disinterested voters, throw their hands up and refuse completely). But hopefully the blue Tsunami will bring about some hope - and I say this because of what happened in 2006 when Democrats swept in to a House majority after 12 years of a GOP shutout.

This was an interesting analysis of what happened here in PA - http://www.politicspa.com/analysis-a-complete-breakdown-of-pas-presidential-results-maps/80647/

[sarcasmo]

7. Translation. The Blue Wave scared Mr. Costello.

[riversedge]

10. #🌊🌊🌊 #FlipItBlue #BlueWave2018

[Major Nikon]

8. ...

[DoctorJoJo]

11. Let's Be Kind--He Just Came Down With a Serious Case of the Chicken Shits!

[Hortensis]

14. Lol. That too. But let's face it, he's no longer an appropriate

representative for this new area. If one didn't know better, this might almost seem like an honorable bowing out.

Bless his heart, as we say here.

[Scurrilous]

15. K&R

[Marie Marie]

16. You can't fire me - I quit!