The Democratic primary race between Gina Kiley and Ritchie Webb Sr. in legislative District 142 upped the level of gamesmanship a notch earlier this week as the Webb campaign accused their opponent’s campaign manager, Harry Arnold, of securing endorsement’s illegally.
Bucks County Democratic Committee Director John Cordisco sent a scathing letter to Arnold, who is also chair of Democratic Party of Middletown Township (MTDP,) accusing him of holding a secret meeting that violated MTDP bylaws to endorse Gina Kiley.
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Cordisco’s letter says in part:
“The actions you have taken run contrary to the rules and spirit of our organization. Each of our party organizations must strive to be as inclusive as possible. Unfortunately, you have chosen a course of conduct that has been exclusive rather than inclusive. You have inappropriately denied duly elected and appointed committee people the opportunity to participate in the endorsement process.”
Webb For PA committee chairperson, William O’Connor, said the meeting violates the mandate for an open primary which was pointed out in Cordisco’s letter to Arnold.
MTDP Spokesperson Julie Smith denied the accusations on Wednesday and sent this publication the following statement from Arnold:
“John Cordisco and a small faction of Webb supporters are so desperate for a win that they are trying to force a Republican through our Democratic primary. It is unfortunate that they are trying to rob voters of the choice of a true Democratic candidate. This is dirty, inside politics at it’s worst. They are diverting attention away from the real issues and the fact that Webb was a registered Republican for nearly 40 years before switching his registration to Democrat on February 20, 2014. Checking the Democrat box on a voter registration form does not make someone a Democrat and hopefully voters will see through the backroom political games being played. John Cordisco was not at the meeting he wrote about in his letter and the allegations are false.”
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The race for the right to take on current State Rep.Frank Farry between the two candidates in Lower Bucks has reverberated all the way up to Harrisburg.
Sources indicate that state Republicans had State Rep. Tina Davis’ scrap metal pulled because they allege Davis is responsible for Webb running as a Democrat and challenging Farry.
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Davis denied the allegation and further has not supported either of the candidates in the Democratic primary in the 142nd House District.
About Arnold and the Kiley campaign, Webb said, “We used to see similar tactics with NFT leadership when we were negotiating a teachers’ contract in Neshaminy, and you cannot let your efforts be derailed by such behavior. All you can do is to keep leaning forward by focusing on doing what is right.” Webb concluded, “All I ever asked for was a chance at a fair and open primary where backroom politics would take a backseat to the will of the people. That’s the way it should be!”
State representatives’ districts will change come the new year as part of redistricting that comes every 10 years. Voters this year will cast their ballot based on the new districts. As part of the change, the 142nd district will lose parts of Middletown’s Levittown section and all of Hulmeville and Penndel. The district will gain all of Upper Southampton and the remaining part of Lower Southampton.
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With Primary Day nearing, only time will tell who will face Farry in November. Until then the race continues.
