Bloomberg’s races have been swept across the board in our favor, and I couldn’t be more pleased. In the district I grew up in, PA-07, Pat Meehan cruised to a very comfortable victory over Bryan Lentz, who actively pushed the gun control agenda. Obviously Tom Corbett creamed Onorato, Dan Onorato, who joined Lentz in pushing a gun control agenda. In the 8th District, we’re finally rid of Patrick “I want to ban your M1” Murphy. He’s replaced with Mike Fitzpatrick, who had a pro-gun voting record in Congress in his single term (2004-2006), and carried an NRA endorsement in 2006 and this election. Pat Toomey managed to squeak by Mr. Gun Control himself, Joe Sestak, despite his foo-foo dog. In the race of a  MAIG Mayor against incumbent Republican Congressman Charlie Dent, Dent beat Callahan roundly. NRA went out in a big way to help Dent, and I’m glad to see it paid off.
Mike Bloomberg floated 500,000 to CeaseFire PA to run anti-gun ads against pro-gun Republicans this election cycle, in the very media market that pro-gun Republicans won big. It did not help the Democrats. Pennsylvania gun owners want you to go home, Mayor Mike. That’s the message. In my local races, we won them all. The only exception being a local state rep race, Rob Ciervo, who’s is so close right now it’s going to lawyers and will end up in a fight over absentee ballots, an issue that’s current very much in contention in Bucks County. I sincerely hope Rob can pull it out still. Rob’s district is a potential pickup for us, and believing our other seats were largely safe, I put as much as I could into that race. Ciervo is a lesson that every vote counts. This could literally come down to a few votes when all is said and done.
If the lesson isn’t that gun control can hurt you, it is at the very least that it can’t save you. I believe Mayor Mike won’t give up, but perhaps he can find more fruitful places to spend his money than Pennsylvania. We’re coming for New York’s gun laws, Mayor Mike. For gun control advocates, this isn’t an offensive action anymor. You better start thinking about a strict defensive policy after this shellacking you’ve been handed in the Keystone State. Gun rights is advancing on all fronts. Whatever victories you might claim now will be little comfort. You’re the struggling redoubt of a dying movement. Best to start acting accordingly.
Glad to see Pennsylvania is starting to reject the Dark Side. Here in Ohio, the new Supreme Court CHIEF Justice had a news story done on her back when she was a Prosecutor in Akron practicing at the local range with her 1911, WAY before Sarah hit the scene. Look for a Big Push for Open Carry and a faster removal of the MAIG laws set up across the State.
VICTORY~~~~
But let’s not get cocky!!
But it feels good to be alive today! Wooohoooooo!!!
I live in the 7th and am shocked (and thrilled) that Bryan Lentz was beaten so soundly. Pat Meehan was a very weak candidate in my opinion but he still crushed the gun grabbing Lentz by 11%!!! Who could have predicted that?
I did the math last night…PA now has a pro 2A: Governor, 2 senators, 15 out of 19 representatives. Even the Dem reps in PA (Altmire, Holden, Critz) are solid on the 2A. Outside of Philly this is state is NRA country.
It seems to me that the real winner last night was the NRA. Has anyone calculated the percentage of NRA backed candidates who won last night? The only real loss was in OH where the gun banning Republican Kasich beat the solid A+ Dem Strickland. I am even pleased that Gov. Manchin won the senate seat in WV as he is fanatically pro 2A.
Everyone knows that the NRA defacto backed Reid….and look how that turned out. Now if he returns as majority leader we will be able to advance our agenda.
Even goofball Jerry Brown in California won and he is more 2A friendly than Whitman.
I agree. Last night was good for gun rights. You folks in Pennsylvania repulsed a large and orchestrated attack; it was pretty much a complete fail by Bloomberg and Brady.
Sebastian, it’d be interesting to revisit your “Can We Have a Bipartisan Gun Rights Movement?” post in light of last night’s results. My read is that several of the Democrats who held on to win in close races (Reid, Manchin) were pro-gun. A continuation of the Congressional bipartisanship (on THIS issue) of 2006-2010 is very possible.
Another possible lesson of last night is the growing regional divide in this country. Democrats remained strong in their urban coastal redoubts like Massachusetts and California. They got creamed in the South, Midwest, and Mountain west.
If you want to remain a viable Dem Congressmen in a non-coastal district, it helps to be pro-gun.
And now we get to own Redistricting for the State. The 2010 census is done, and Republicans have the State Senate, State House and Governors mansion. WOW! How big is that??
We lose one federal house seat in PA with population loss. Any bets on who that will be? I’m betting it will be some ass!! LOL
Danny, I would lean toward getting rid of Murtha’s old district. While Critz is technically an incumbent, not really – not the way that Murtha was. It is also at the edge of the state that should make it reasonably easy to just move all the districts over a bit. I know it will be more complicated than that, but it would probably be easiest.
My bet is Kritz (PA-12, Murtha’s old seat) gets gerrymandered out.
Hey! long time reader— first comments.
I worry a lot about your side of the Commonwealth. Yinz pleasantly surprised me yesterday. Thanks!
@anon R.D.
You are right. This elections confirms the real regional and urban/rural divides in the country (again). Even with repub wins, the economy will get worse. This means cities will become more crime ridden. We will need the suburban swing voters on issues like concealed carry/Castle Doctrine. It will boil down to educating that portion of the electorate on responsible firearms ownership as a defense against rising crime.
You are also forgetting about Virginia. Given the track record, i would be happy if my opponent had expensive bloomberg funded commercials supporting him.
Bloomberg backed Whitman in California. He came out here and campaigned with her. She was rated a C with the NRA.
Many of the gun guys on Calguns recommended voting for Brown who was rated a D with the NRA.
Brown won.
I don’t know what this means but it sure screws up any sort of statistics.