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Pennsylvania Republican Switches Districts

By Roll Call Staff
Posted September 13, 2009 at 5:32pm

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a candidate for Congress shifting his campaign from one district to another.

In Pennsylvania, Republican businessman Steven Welch announced Saturday that he was ending his campaign in the 7th District, which Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak is giving up to run for Senate, and continuing his 2010 campaign in the 6th District, which Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach is giving up to run for governor. Both districts take in suburbs of Philadelphia.

Welch, in a statement, said that his decision was motivated by “overwhelming outreach by grass-roots and community leaders,” though he is pleasing Republican strategists by deferring to the 7th District candidacy of Republican Pat Meehan, a former federal prosecutor who plans to announce Monday that he is seeking Sestak’s seat.

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