Update: Thompson, McCracken to square off in 5th District
By Mike Joseph
- mjoseph@centredaily.com Centre County Republican Glenn “G.T.” Thompson emerged from a field of nine candidates as the Republican nominee to the 5th Congressional District, while Clearfield County's Mark McCracken clinched the Democratic nomination to the seat Tuesday.
In a close race where the lead kept changing, Thompson emerged early this morning with 19 percent of the vote, compared with 18 percent for the second- and third-place finishers.
Thompson, 48, was endorsed by Rep. John Peterson, a six-term member who announced earlier this year he was retiring.
Thompson said he traveled more than 18,000 miles in the district's 17 counties in three months of campaigning. He credited grass roots teams and a positive message for the win.
"I think a big part of our success tonight was the values that are important to me, and the values actually I share with Congressman John Peterson," Thompson said. "Those are the values of always doing what is right and putting people above politics."
Second-place finisher, Centre County Republican Matt Shaner, at midnight Tuesday, with results still outstanding from Potter and McKean counties, was not yet ready to concede.
“It looks as if Glenn Thompson has won the race,” Shaner said. “But the Department of State shows me within 700 votes, and between 30 and 35 of the precincts have not reported.
“I will be the first to concede when the votes are counted. I will be calling him in the morning if he has won. If G.T. is the winner, I’ll be conceding and supporting him 100 percent.”
The 5th District covers 17 counties, including Centre.
McCracken, 44, was born and raised in Clearfield County, worked in information technology for county government, was elected to the Clearfield Area school board and last November was elected to his second four-year term as county commissioner.
He was the lowest-financed Democrat in the campaign, spending about $8,800.
Thompson, 48, a lifelong Howard Township resident and two-term Centre County Republican Committee chairman, was one of the lowest-financed Republicans, spending about $20,000. But he was buoyed in the campaign’s last 11 days by Peterson's endorsement.
In the Democratic race, with 538 of 551 district precincts reporting, Mc- Cracken got 29,421 votes, Cahir got 24,859 and Vilello got 17,341.
Cahir and Vilello called McCracken late Tuesday to congratulate him.
“We had said the whole way along that we were going to call the winner at the end of a positive campaign and that’s what we did — they’re tremendous candidates and we certainly had a good race,” McCracken said.
Cahir said he plans to endorse McCracken and host a fundraiser for him before he begins looking for work.
“I need to find a job,” Cahir said, “and I need to start being a husband again.”
The Republican voting followed a week of highly negative TV attack ads between Shaner and Clearfield County financial consultant Derek Walker, and the filing of criminal charges against Walker in an alleged incident last summer involving a former girlfriend — who then endorsed him in ads in the last days of the campaign.
The outcomes of the voting, aside from Thompson’s top count, correlated with huge amounts of money spent.
Shaner spent more than $1.2 million of his own money on his campaign. The third-highest vote-getter, Walker, 32, put in more than $800,000 from his own pocket. Coming in with the fourth-highest number of votes was Lycoming County businessman Jeff Stroehmann, 42, who spent almost $300,000.
“I want to congratulate G.T. Thompson on his victory tonight,” Stroehmann said. “I look forward to helping G.T. in the fall campaign as we work to hold this seat for the GOP.”
RESULTS
From 538 of 551 precincts, 98 percent of district’s votes counted
Republicans
Glenn Thompson, 13,513 Matt Shaner, 12,237 Derek Walker, 12,255 Jeff Stroehmann, 9,437 Keith Richardson, 6,822 Lou Radkowski, 4,784 John Rea Stroup, 4,424 Chris Exarchos, 4,223 John T. Krupa, 1,848
Democrats
Mark McCracken, 29,421 Bill Cahir, 24,859, Richard P. Vilello Jr., 17,341
Solomon's words thanks the Centre Daily Times for allowing us to use their articles in this race.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will be surveying on the Allegheny National Forest this summer for emerald ash borer, a wood-boring beetle that kills ash trees.
I just finished a conversation with Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, who won the Republican nomination tonight. I offered him my hearty and sincere congratulations. He, too, was a grass roots candidate and had to run a tremendous race to pull off this victory.
Glenn Thompson is a citizen legislator with experience in the Republican State Committee and the National Republican Convention Delegation. He desires to remain well grounded in the community while supporting troops, assuring tax cuts, advancing alternate fuels, and providing health care for the elderly.
Mark McCracken recognizes the issues facing rural communities. He supports farmland preservation and is a strong advocate for a better public education system.
I suppose that Solomon's Words posting these types of Breaking News events is the same as listening to a scanner (a remote scanner for us that are hundreds of miles away from there).
I get where you're coming from but I also think that he's providing a good service for the area and for those that are no longer in the area.
Saturday, April 26, 2008 9:38:00 PM EDT