PA: Democratic gov race remains intact despte Doherty’s exit

[ccharles000]

The unsurprising departure of Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty from the Democratic gubernatorial race on Wednesday likely does little to change the contest’s still uncertain landscape.

Doherty is set to announce Thursday that he will instead seek to replace retiring state Sen. Bob Mellow’s in Harrisburg, a move that been rumored for the past several days. The candidate had declared he was running for governor almost immediately after winning re-election as Scranton’s mayor late last year, but his campaign failed to gain traction in a crowded field.

The mayor had less than $100,000 on hand to end last year and two weeks ago failed to have even one of several hundred state party committee members nominate him for the Democrats’ official endorsement. His base of support, the northeast, is also much smaller than the voter-rich areas around Allegheny County and the southeast.

“To be quite candid with you, I don’t think so,” said Franklin & Marshall College pollster G. Terry Madonna, when asked if Doherty’s departure changes his perception of the gubernatorial primary.

http://www.politicspa.com/politicspa-democratic-gov-race-remains-intact-despte-dohertys-exit/6739/