Editors Note 10:45 a.m.
Congressman Fitzpatrick did in fact respond to LevittownNow.com’s request for a comment about the struck down PA Voter ID Law on Friday afternoon. We apologize for the error and the story has been updated to reflect the congressman’s comments sent to us. We apologize for the error. JB
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On Friday, Kevin Strouse, candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, announced his campaign plans to file over $200,000 for the fourth quarter of 2013, bringing his total fundraising haul to over $605,000 since he announced he was running for the seat congressional watchers predict is up for grabs.
Additionally, Strouse is reporting over $470,000 cash on hand, Politics PA reported which is drawing comparisons to the campaign of former Congressman Patrick Murphy’s successful bid to unseat the now seated Fitzpatrick in 2006.
It’s Fitzpatrick’s only “career” defeat according to the online political news site.
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Of his impressive haul Strouse said, “I am honored to have the support of so many hard-working men and women in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, who want and deserve a representative who gets things done and works to find reasonable solutions to problems instead of playing partisan games that waste our tax dollars and hurt the economy.”
It is a strong start for the Iraq and Afghanistan veteran and former CIA officers’ candidacy, over double what the last successful challenger to Mike Fitzpatrick, former Congressman Patrick Murphy, raised during the same period in 2005. The advantage is a clear sign that Strouse’s campaign can raise the resources to go toe-to-toe with Congressman Fitzpatrick and win next fall, a release from Strouse’s campaign said on Friday.
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Strouse has built and solidified support of key local grassroots organizations and earned he endorsements of two of the highest-ranking elected officials in Bucks County, Commissioner Diane Marseglia and State Representative Tina Davis and also adding Pennsbury School Board President Jacqui Redner in December forming a coalition of support from elected women in the district.
Grassroots activist groups like MontCo Democracy for America, and Council for a Livable World and VoteVets.org have also thrown their support behind Strouse.
Strouse said part of his success can be attributed to a strong grassroots fundraising effort and receiving contributions from nearly 2,000 donors in his first bid for public office.
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During the first nine months of the race Strouse built a broad coalition as a fighter for the middle class and working families, with endorsements from six labor unions, including the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), Pennsylvania Nurses Union (PASNAP), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and United Steelworkers (USW); totaling over 200,000 active and retired members in Pennsylvania, his campaign said.
According to Politics PA, Fitzpatrick has a little over 1 million dollars in cash on hand as of the end of the third quarter of 2013 for his reelection bid.
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Strouse’s campaign has focused on policies that would create good paying jobs and strengthen the middle class – including increasing the minimum wage, extending emergency unemployment insurance, and growing the economy in Southeast Pennsylvania, the release says.
Strouse also has not been shy about attacking Fitzpatrick on issues surrounding the governmental shutdown and more recently about the congressman’s silence about the now struck down Pennsylvania Voter ID Law calling on the congressman for a “…repeal of Governor Corbett’s discriminatory voter ID law…,” last week.
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On Friday Fitzpatrick said, in a statement sent to the online community news site, “as a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Voting Rights Amendment Act [H.R. 3899] which increases election protections guaranteed under the Voting Rights Act, I strongly support the widespread participation of all Americans in the voting process. Every vote must be counted and the integrity of the election process can never be in doubt. Americans want a voting process that is fair, accessible and free of fraud.”
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Strouse will have to beat Democratic Candidate Shaughnessy Naughton in the May primary before he gets to take on Fitzpatrick for the seat in the House of Representatives.
