GOP Turmoil In PA To Claim Chair
Bruised by Tuesday's near-historic defeat of more than a dozen top incumbents, we hear that the chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, Eileen Melvin, is set to announce that she won't seek re-election to her post.
Melvin took sides with those party leaders like Chip Brightbill and Bob Jubeilrer who were ousted by primary voters upset at their defense of a sneaky pay-raise.
A leading candidate is current PA GOP vice chair Matthew Kirk, who served as BC04 chair in Lancaster Co.
A Republican official with knowledge of internal machinations said that "the key will be to find someone who will work hard for Rick [Santorum] and Lynn Swann, and keep the staff in place, as they are very good."
The national GOP has no horse in the race, yet.
Who becomes chair will depend on how strong the conservatives who won the state house and senate races assert themselves. As in many state Republican parties, there's a sharp split between social conservatives and Republican establishment-types. GOP elites in PA are also divided by geography; the Harrisburg-Philly axis fared poorly on Tuesday and movement conservatives from the southwestern, western and central part of the state are said to be agitating for more influence.
The state committee meets on June 3 in Harrisburg. [MARC AMBINDER]
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