In an email sent today, State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, who currently represents the 148th District, endorsed Whitemarsh Supervisor Megan Griffin-Shelley in the race to succeed her. Daley is retiring at the end of this year.
Winning Daley’s endorsement, however, is far from a guarantee that Griffin-Shelley will secure either the endorsement of the Democratic Committee of Lower Merion and Narberth (DCLMN) or victory in the primary election, particularly if the committee ultimately makes no endorsement.
Recent history illustrates the limits of Daley’s influence in local endorsement contests. Last year, the candidate she favored for the Narberth mayor’s race failed to win the committee’s endorsement. More recently, the candidate she supported for an open seat as one of DCLMN’s four area representatives on the Montgomery County Democratic Committee (MCDC) also lost.
Daley’s endorsement of Griffin-Shelley is likely to be viewed as a snub to fellow Narberth resident and former borough mayor Andrea Deutsch, who is also seeking the DCLMN endorsement in the 148th District race.
Only one committee person endorsed Linda Tasker and is now supporting Jason Goodman
At this stage, Jason Goodman appears to be the frontrunner for the committee endorsement. Twenty-four members of DCLMN within the 148th District have publicly announced their support for him, a level of visible backing that none of the other candidates has matched. To secure the endorsement, however, Goodman will need 42 votes.
The endorsement meeting is scheduled for February 18 at North Penn High School in Lansdale.
Leo Solga, who works at Penn Law School and graduated from Lower Merion High School in 2022, is the fourth candidate in the race.
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