The Specter-Toomey race was the high-profile contest yesterday, but as I noted in a post a week ago, there were a few other interesting GOP primaries that were worth watching.
In Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district, a six-way GOP primary led Scott Paterno, known for nothing except being football coach Joe Paterno’s son, to victory with 27% support.
Scott Paterno, short on experience but long on name recognition, didn’t run up the score yesterday but gathered just enough votes to sew up the tentative GOP congressional nomination in the midstate 17th District.
This is, to put it mildly, depressing. Aside from having a famous last name, Paterno has no business even considering a run for Congress, better yet winning a GOP primary. He wasn’t registered to vote until recently, he’s been charged three times with driving an unregistered vehicle and with nearly a half-dozen other violations in the last six years, he’s literally accused President Clinton of murder (comparing him unfavorably to Charles Manson), and has bragged on multiple occasions of his penchant for excessive drinking.
So, what are this guy’s chances of, perish the thought, actually becoming a member of Congress? The odds are against him. He’ll face Rep. Tim Holden, a six-term Democratic incumbent who’s survived GOP challenges from real candidates in the past.
And then there’s everyone’s favorite, Pennsylvania’s 9th congressional district, featuring two GOP candidates riding on their last names. Incumbent Rep. Bill Shuster, who inherited the seat from his father in 2002, faced Michael DelGrosso, who ran because his parents are well known in the area for producing spaghetti sauce and owning a local amusement park.
In this case, the unqualified incumbent beat the unqualified challenger, 51%-49%.
And democracy survives another day in Pennsylvania. Barely.