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Montco Commissioner Val Arkoosh Drops Out of U.S. Senate Race
Montco Commissioner Val Arkoosh Drops Out of U.S. Senate Race
By Rudy Chinchilla • Published 1 hour ago • Updated 24 seconds ago
Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, is dropping out of the race for the U.S. Senate. Arkoosh, the highest-profile Democratic woman in the race, made the announcement in an email and video Friday, saying it’s the best way Pennsylvania Democrats can ensure they pick up the seat being vacated by Republican Pat Toomey.
“For each of those Pennsylvanians, we cannot let anything stand in the way of a Democrat being elected to the U.S. Senate. The stakes are just too high. And it’s become clear to me that the best way I can ensure that happens is to suspend my campaign today and commit to doing whatever I can to help ensure we flip this Senate seat in November,” Arkoosh said.
The primary election for the race is May 17. Arkoosh, an anesthesiologist, shot to prominence thanks to frequent video briefings during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, when Montgomery County became one of the worst-hit in the state. She parlayed that into a campaign message built, in part, on adding a public option to the health care marketplace and lowering the age eligibility for Medicare recipients.
Arkoosh, however, could not build enough momentum in a Democratic primary field now led by progressive Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Scott Fetterman and the more moderate U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb.
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/montco-commissioner-val-arkoosh-drops-out-of-u-s-senate-race/3134255/
By Rudy Chinchilla • Published 1 hour ago • Updated 24 seconds ago
Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, is dropping out of the race for the U.S. Senate. Arkoosh, the highest-profile Democratic woman in the race, made the announcement in an email and video Friday, saying it’s the best way Pennsylvania Democrats can ensure they pick up the seat being vacated by Republican Pat Toomey.
“For each of those Pennsylvanians, we cannot let anything stand in the way of a Democrat being elected to the U.S. Senate. The stakes are just too high. And it’s become clear to me that the best way I can ensure that happens is to suspend my campaign today and commit to doing whatever I can to help ensure we flip this Senate seat in November,” Arkoosh said.
The primary election for the race is May 17. Arkoosh, an anesthesiologist, shot to prominence thanks to frequent video briefings during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, when Montgomery County became one of the worst-hit in the state. She parlayed that into a campaign message built, in part, on adding a public option to the health care marketplace and lowering the age eligibility for Medicare recipients.
Arkoosh, however, could not build enough momentum in a Democratic primary field now led by progressive Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Scott Fetterman and the more moderate U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb.
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/montco-commissioner-val-arkoosh-drops-out-of-u-s-senate-race/3134255/
Honestly - she has been fantastic leading the Montgomery County (PA) Commissioners, particularly being a physician when the pandemic first hit. She has always been a voice of reason and had always managed to smack the shit out of the childish loon (R) Commissioner Joe Gale (who is running for governor as part of a whole clown car full of RW nutjobs). I was watching her weekly pressers alongside Philly's pressers back then as I only live a few blocks from that county and shop there frequently (plus have a sister living there).
But I figured that with this high stakes a race, she really didn't have the infrastructure or statewide name recognition for her campaign to really take hold. And the state party's endorsement votes (although without a final disposition), pretty much sealed it.