This is a bad move by Hart. Incumbents that lose are rarely successful in trying to run again. It sounds like she’s got a problem with a primary challenger who’s not a slouch either.

Altmire will beat Hart again.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. I’m actually not in Hart’s district (I’m one ward away), but I’ve had some contact with her over the years. He did have a reputation as personable and hard-working, and won over quite a few Reagan Dems during her time in Congress. Unfortunately for her, a lot of those same Dem voters “went home” last year. Altmire hasn’t particularly distinguished himself in the district yet, and it’s entirely possible that the seat could flip again next year if the GOP fields the right candidate. That leaves one question: is Hart that candidate? With Hart’s announcement, Swann is now apparently out. That’s probably a good thing, as the GOP probably needs a battle-tested proven winner to recapture this seat. Former Councilman Francis is an interesting contender. He aligns with the Reagan Dems in the district nicely, but a leap from a few terms on County Council to the halls of Congress? I’m not sure about that. There have been some whispers about state Rep. Mike Turzai possibly making a run, but they’ve been shot down by Turzai’s people. I would love to see state Senator Jane Orie take a shot, but it seems like she has her eyes on a statewide run in the near future. That leaves Hart. On paper, Hart is formidable. She has the experience and she’ll probably have the money (the NRCC wants this seat back badly). However, how damaged is she from last year’s defeat? Was it a blip or a trend? A note on rematches; some work and some don’t. True, Murphy wasn’t able to unseat Gerlach, but Murphy never actually held the seat. If we’re talking about former members of Congress attempting to regain their seats (or seats in neighboring districts), it happens more often than you think. A seat in southern Indiana flipped twice in four years (most recently last year, with Baron Hill recapuring his old seat), and Nick Lampson won Tom DeLay’s seat last year as well (although that probably had more to do with DeLay than Lampson). Hart could pull it off. It’s not as if she was routed (she lost by a point or two, I believe). If the stars align (a competitive presidential, sufficient financing, a stumble or two by Altmire, etc.), we could see this seat return to the GOP next year.

We are fortunate to have Altmire there as her replacement

We need back the representation we had under Melissa Hart. What has Jason done in Congress? Where is the consitituent help? Its time for Western Pennsylvanians to start thinking for themselves and compare the two candidates. Just wait and see. Jason will have all his ads done by Washington Lobbyists. Just wait.

MELISSA HART IS A CRONY TO WASHINGTON LOBBYISTS. IT WOULD TAKE A REAL DUMMIE, LIAR, OR BOTH TO SAY THAT WE NEED HART IN THERE BECAUSE OF ALTMIRES LOBBYISTS. THE REPUBLICANS, WHEN THEY ARENT CAMPAIGNING IN BATHROOM STALLS HAVE DOMINATED FAIR TRADE, AN ENERGY POLICY, AND A FAILED IRAQ POLICY FOR THEIR FRIENDS, THE CONTRACTORS, THE OIL COMPANIES, AND THAT’S SELF EXPLANITORY.