Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., said that the moderate vote-ratings scores for him and other freshmen prove that “we could, for the first time, field candidates who could be competitive in these [Republican] districts. These results show where I want to be: working the middle with both sides.” By contrast, Altmire said, he defeated his predecessor, GOP Rep. Melissa Hart, in his suburban Pittsburgh district because “she had moved too far from the center; once her constituents found that out, they kicked her out.” Hart is seeking to regain the seat this year.  read more »

Former Allegheny County Councilman Ron Francis has ended his campaign for the GOP nomination to run against U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, ensuring a rematch this year between Mr. Altmire, and former Rep. Melissa Hart, who lost the seat in 2006.

In a letter to supporters on Thursday, Mr. Francis said he was backing Ms. Hart, of Bradford Woods, to make sure the party is united going into the 2008 election.

“That’s going to be required to win,” Mr. Francis, a Ben Avon Republican and a partner at the Downtown law firm Reed Smith, said yesterday. “A primary fight was going to only help Altmire.”

Mr. Francis and Ms. Hart spoke this week, and she invited him to chair her campaign.  read more »