From the Allentown Morning Call:
Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan will run for Congress against Republican incumbent Charlie Dent in 2010, sources say, setting up a political battle the likes of which the Lehigh Valley hasn’t seen in 17 years.
The two-term mayor has made his decision clear to Democratic Party leaders in Pennsylvania and Washington and is preparing to put a campaign team in place. An official announcement is expected soon.
This is a pretty huge score for the DCCC, and Callahan is likely the biggest outstanding Democratic House recruit who’s yet to make a formal decision on a 2010 run.
More:
Elected in 2003 at 34, Callahan has long been viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party. He’s president of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities. As mayor, he has presided over a period of huge change in Bethlehem, highlighted by the controversial decision to redevelop the former Bethlehem Steel land into a massive retail and entertainment complex anchored by a casino. Dent opposed the casino plan.
“This is a tremendous recruiting success for Democrats in this district, and it is important they capitalize on it,” said Mark Nevins, a Philadelphia-based strategist and former staffer at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Dent has had an easy ride against a series of flawed challengers, most recently pasting Sam Bennett by a monstrous 59-41 margin while Barack Obama was carrying the district with 56% of the vote, so there’s no question that this is going to be one tough race even with a competent candidate at the helm. Still, with redistricting right around the corner, this at the very least gives Democrats the chance to soften Dent up going into 2012.
RaceTracker wiki: PA-15
what was flawed about it?
we’ve actually got some pretty good recruitment this early in the cycle.
It’s seats like this, that Obama won big, that are going to provide us with the easiest gains.
I’ll gladly trade this, Kirk, Castle, and Gerlach for Bright, Minnick, Marshall, and Griffith in a heartbeat.
The only remaining districts that voted for Kerry in 04 and are still represented by a Republican are PA-06, PA-15, DE-AL, IL-10 and WA-08. (And LA-02 which we’ll win back easily.) If I’m missing any then let me know.
In 2010 we might win the last of them. 3 of them will probably be open.
Dent, unlike the these other Representatives, voted against Cap and Trade, and probably has other conservative votes that can be used against him.