April 1, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April, 2006 CONTACT: Liz Mednick, 215 546 8860 or LizM@chuck2006.com
Today at the Westmoreland County Democratic Endorsement Convention, delegates voted for an Open Primary at the request of Democratic US Senate candidate Chuck Pennacchio. The vote was 59 - 51. The vote applied to the race for US Senate and other contested races, including the race for Lt. Governor.
This is the third open primary that Pennacchio and his supporters have achieved among six county Democratic Party conventions they've attended. Not all counties endorse, and only a few hold such conventions. Among these, the counties that have opted for an open primary are Lancaster, Bucks, and now Westmoreland.
Pennacchio told the crowd: "I'm the candidate who shows up. This is my 282 campaign event. I've met many of you this morning for the first time. I've met many of you at previous campaign stops. Those who know me know that I'm committed to restoring our Democratic Party not only to its core values, but its winning ways."
Pennacchio thanked local Democrats for the support they had shown him on a WestmorelandDemocrats.com online poll, where he defeated Bob Casey by a vote of 74% to 24%. He praised Congressman John Murtha for his leadership in calling for withdrawal of the nation's troops from Iraq. He spoke about his support for universal health care, Stem Cell research, living wage, world class education, and emphasized the catastrophic debt we are leaving to our children. He stressed that the nation can't get any of these issues addressed while we're stuck in a war that the president says has no end, and which is undermining our security at all levels.
At last report, county commissioners, who had pushed hard for a Casey endorsement, were trying to get the vote reversed.
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Pennacchio for Pennsylvania
