6th district copes with changes

6th district copes with changes

By Jonathan Jones, Staff Writer

September 01, 2002

At first glance, The Mifflin Community Library in Shillington three miles outside of Reading does not seem like the key battleground in the race for Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District.

     At 2 p.m. on a weekday, it is a place where Shillington's residents, mostly senior citizens, gather and read, in a quiet, air-conditioned building in the center of town. But when it comes to the concerns of those in the library, the list is long.
     Residents here say there is too much traffic on the roads, too much crime in Reading and that property taxes here, as in the rest of the state, are outrageous. They also say they are concerned about the spiraling cost of health care and prescription drug costs, the nation's security and the economy.
     Over the next two months, Shillington, and everywhere there are votes in the new 6th Congressional District, will be scrutinized at a campaign headquarters.
     At Democrat Dan Wofford's headquarters on Route 30 in Paoli and at Republican Jim Gerlach's headquarters on Route 30 in Exton, the maps are up and the lines are drawn. Using polls, registration numbers, voting history, and socio-economic data, the two camps have been looking to identify target areas to pick up votes, get out their message, and eventually, mobilize enough voters to come out and vote on Nov. 5.
Both campaigns are combing over the demographics to determine whether places like Shillington are worth canvassing, literature drops or getting a visit from the candidate himself.
     Depending on the source, the contest between the two-term state senator and the son of the former U.S. senator for the Pennsylvania 6th Congressional District is either one of most closely watched races in Pennsylvania or an over-hyped race from those who are trying to create a neck-in-neck race where there really is not one.
     Although many politicians across the state declare that their own Congressional districts are among the most diverse as a result of redistricting, the redrawn 6th House District, which encompasses parts of Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties, should be close to the top of the list.
     With Pennsylvania losing two Congressional seats as a result of redistricting, Republicans redrew the boundaries to strengthen their numbers. For example, Democratic Reps. Bob Borski and Joe Hoeffel were put into the same district in Montgomery County and Philadelphia. Democratic Rep. Tim Holden from Berks County was gerrymandered into a district with Republican Rep. George Gekas from Lebanon County.
     The resulting land vacuum allowed Republicans to draw a new Sixth District seat centered around Gerlach's state 44th Senatorial District in Chester, Montgomery and Lehigh counties, according to Jonathan W. Delano, a Pittsburgh-based political analyst and a columnist for politicspa.com.
     Roughly half of the registered voters are Republicans, 35 percent are registered Democrats, giving Republicans an edge of more than 50,000 votes overall. In Chester County, Republicans make 54 percent of the voters compared to 30 percent Democrats. Republicans make up 46 percent of Montgomery County voters compared to 40 percent Democrats and in Berks County, Republicans make up 44 percent and Democrats make up 43 percent.
     The district is home to some of the state's fastest growing communities like the economically thriving Route 202, Route 100, and Route 422 corridors. There are also communities that have experienced some of the state's biggest change of income over the last decade such as East Vincent, Wallace and Schuylkill townships in Chester County.
     Yet it also includes older industrial towns such as Norristown, Phoenixville, Coatesville, Pottstown and Reading.
     In Northern Chester and Berks counties, longtime farmers with cornfields and residents in quaint towns like Elverson, Boyertown and Birdsboro have been joined by an increasing number of new developments.
Diversity within the district is always a factor in a high-energy Congressional race like this one, but the newly created House district is one place where concerns of voters in Lower Merion off City Avenue are not necessarily the same as in Maxatawny township.
     Last week, House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Nita Lowey joined Wofford for a Main Line press conference at Merion Station.
Wofford, who grew up in Lower Merion, is hoping to do extremely well here after the municipality went overwhelmingly Al Gore in the 2000 Presidental Election. He is also hoping to capitalize on the popularity of Ed Rendell here.
     As Claire Rose wheels her groceries to car from Super Fresh in Gladwyne, she said she is concerned about property taxes, education and putting money into the communities that need it.
"I want a candidate with integrity," Rose said. "Someone who does what they say they're going to do, who doesn't just pander to special interests. I also think experience helps. You want someone who knows the system and knows how to beat it."
     Stanley M. Chmielewski, owner of Deturk Hardware on Main Street in Kutztown, said he wants a congressman who will work to reduce taxes.
     "Taxes are way out of line. You should see what I have to pay for property taxes on this small building, it's outrageous," Chmielewski said. "Right now, I want a Republican. I think the Democrats are socialists. They start talking about the economy with the amount of money they give away. And they want to take away our guns."
    In Upper Uwchlan and West Vincent, signs of "WHY?" and "www.residents-first.com" are posted along Route 100 urging residents to fight against sprawl. (emphasis added - JKP)
     The first issue for any congressman going to Washington, D.C., according to B.A. Weinman, a salesman from Reading waiting for the bus outside the Reading terminal, is health care and prescription drugs.
     "The most important issue has to be health care," Weinman said. "They have to do something about the cost of prescription drugs."
     With political analysts saying that the district was all but crafted for him, Gerlach has the advantage of currently serving 45 percent of the district already. Gerlach, who served 4 years in the State House and 8 years in the state Senate, represents many of the municipalities within the district.
     But even so, Gerlach faces some vigorous competition, largely because of the demographics of the district. The lines were redrawn to include parts of Montgomery County like Limerick, Collegeville, as well as parts of Berks County like Cumru and Muhlenberg townships, where few voters are familiar with either candidate.
     It is the reason that over the past month, Gerlach has made campaign stops at churches in Norristown, fairs in Kutztown and Reading, community day in Longswamp and met with voters in Wyomissing.
Not to be outdone, Wofford was also at the Kutztown and Reading fairs, visited the Berks County Chamber of Commerce in Sinking Spring, and is going door to door in areas like Tredyffrin and East Whiteland, where Republicans tend to be more moderate.
     "Berks County is the swing area," said Celia Fisher, Wofford's campaign manager. The question, she said, is whether voters in the race will be excited about the gubernatorial race.
     "We know voters are going to be very excited about it in the Philadelphia media market," Fisher said. "The real issue is whether it is quite competitive in Berks. We expect (the governor's race) will be a very competitive race in Berks. Dan spent a lot of time in Berks during the primary and we expect he will again for the election."
     Resting outside of Boscov's in the North Coventry Mall, 75-year-old Leslie Isett said many residents in Cumru were less than pleased with how the districts were redrawn.
     "They screwed up by redistricting," said Isett. "They tore Berks up. I used to be represented by Tim Holden. Now he's gone and we have two new candidates we don't know anything about."
     Outside of a Walmart on the border of the three counties, across from signs on rural advertising prime real estate available for lease, a Birdsboro resident said she did not know either candidate running for the seat.
But, her concerns were the same as Cheryl Leventood of Exeter. Both said they were very concerned about the environment. With signs posted throughout their communities opposing an expansion at the Pottstown Landfill, Leventood said they were increasingly concerned that increased pollution will adversely affect the health of residents in this region.
     There is also the proposed $1.8 billion Schuylkill Valley Metro - a 62-mile commuter rail line operating from Philadelphia to Reading, running through Phoenixville and Pottstown and the looming towers of the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant.
     "The district was clearly designed for a Republican victory. The surprise is that there are some Democrats in Washington who think this is a take-able seat," Delano said. "When the Republicans designed this seat they didn't think there was a challenger out there who could challenge Jim Gerlach for the seat."
     While the two camps spent the last several weeks sparring over debate, the two candidates have agreed to four candidates' forums within the district.
     The two candidates will debate for the American Association of Retired Persons in Chester County at the Desmond Hotel on Oct. 8. The two candidates will meet again on Oct. 15th in Reading for debate sponsored by the Berks County League of Women Voters, then again the next day for a televised debate on Oct. 16. A final debate is scheduled for Oct. 21 in Lower Merion.