Leach Challengers Ignore The Elephant In The Room
On Wednesday night (January 22, 2020), in the meeting room of the Whitpain Township Building ( Blue Bell), an audience of a few dozen, had an opportunity to hear from all seven candidates who have announced their plans to run against Daylin Leach.
Leach is the incumbent state senator in the 17th Senatorial District. He is seeking re-election for what would be his fourth term. Leach was not invited to participate in the forum that was organized by Whitpain Indivisible.
The Elephant
Leadership of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee is supporting Amanda Cappelletti, and will be trying to convince rank and file committee people to endorse her at the committee’s endorsement meeting on January 30.
The big question that was not asked at the forum on Wednesday: (there was no Q&A with members of the audience, not even questions written out on 3″x5″ cards)
If the party leaders have determined that Cappelletti is the one to challenge Leach, why are the other six candidates not dropping out and closing ranks around her?
Even if Cappelletti does win the endorsement, her winning the primary is far from a slam-dunk, especially if some or all of the other challengers remain on the ballot and wage the aggressive campaigns that they say they’re going to run.
Jamie Mogil, one of the seven challengers claims to have raised $76,000 in campaign contributions.
Topping that, Linda Fields said that she had raised more than $135,000 (in 2018 Fields ran as the Democratic candidate in the 24th Senatorial District and raised more than $500, 000 in an unsuccessful run against Republican Bob Mensch).
Party leaders have acknowledged that without an endorsement, and with a crowded field; taking down Leach will be extremely difficult. The Leach Campaign said that before next week’s endorsement meeting, they would be releasing a list of Montgomery County elected officials who are supporting the Senator.
Hear What The Challengers Have To Say
Shae Ashe
Sara Atkins
Elvira Berry
Amanda Cappelletti
Linda Fields
Parthenia Izzard
Jamie Mogil