Philadelphia voters elect a Whig to public office

[n2doc]

By KATHY MATHESON

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Voters in Philadelphia have elected a Whig to public office for what the victor believes may be the first time in nearly 160 years.

Robert "Heshy" Bucholz, a member of the Modern Whig party, campaigned door-to-door and won 36 votes to his Democratic opponent's 24 on Tuesday to become an election judge in the city's Rhawnhurst section.

Election judges, who serve four-year terms, receive about $100 annually and are responsible for overseeing equipment and procedures at the polls.

Now a heavily Democratic city, Philadelphia's last Whig mayor was elected in 1854. It's hard to verify whether Whigs won any lower offices after that, said Stephanie Singer, one of three commissioners overseeing local elections.

Previously an independent, Bucholz said he joined the Whigs three years ago because of their fiscally conservative but socially liberal views. They represent a sensible "middle path" between Democrats and Republicans, especially in light of the recent government shutdown, he said.



Read more: http://www.myfoxny.com/Story/23914654/philadelphia-voters-elect-a-whig-to-public-office

[gopiscrap]

1. that's funny