Times Herald: Gerlach Eyeing Another Term
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Gerlach eyeing another term
By KEITH PHUCAS
Times Herald Staff
During a media conference call Friday, Gerlach, whose gubernatorial campaign raised more than $1 million, cited difficulty raising money as his principal reason for withdrawing. He said he and his wife, Karen, had set the end of 2009 as the deadline to assess the campaign’s prospects.
"It’s been a rough year (2009) to raise money,” he said. "It’s been tougher than normal. We concluded we wouldn’t have enough financial resources to be successful.”
Despite the daunting financial prospects, Gerlach said his campaign would "hit the ground running” in the new year.
"We’re going to have to start fundraising really hard,” he said.
Currently, Attorney General Tom Corbett is Republican frontrunner in the governor’s race. The House member isn’t prepared to endorse any of the GOP gubernatorial candidates.
As for other candidates competing for his 6th District congressional seat, Gerlach has discussed his plans to run for re-election in 2010 with Republican state Rep. Curt Schroder but would not reveal the specifics of the conversation. He had not yet talked to Republicans Steven Welch or Walt Hufford.
"I fully understand their desire to run, and I would welcome that,” he said. "I think the voters want to have a choice, so they can make an informed decision.”
Gerlach, a four-term U.S. House member, said key issues for his reelection campaign would be "jobs, jobs, jobs.” He opposed President Obama’s stimulus bill in February that purportedly saved or created jobs.
"We need to encourage investment in job creation and tax relief for small businesses,” he said.
"We have to keep focused on the right jobs policy.”
As well, he would continue his efforts to fund "roads, bridges and transit.”
On Wednesday, Gerlach criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrat leaders and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for negotiating a final version of the health care legislation "behind closed doors” rather than sending the bill to a House-Senate Conference Committee, where members of both parties would have input, according to his Web site.
After the Republicans’ battle against the health care overhaul bill ends, Gerlach said, he and his House colleagues anticipate facing Democrat-sponsored immigration reform proposals.
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