Rep. Gerlach to run for governor

Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) has told Republican officials he will run for governor instead of seeking reelection, according to sources in Pennsylvania and Washington.

Gerlach, a four-term centrist who has held onto his exurban district near Philadelphia by narrow margins since 2002, will join a growing Republican primary field seeking to replace term-limited Gov. Ed Rendell (D). He has informed the National Republican Congressional Committee of his decision, according to a GOP source.

{mosads}In running for the state’s top job, he leaves open a seat that has trended toward Democrats in recent years. The 6th district, which includes Chester, Berks and Montgomery counties, went for President Obama by a 58-41 percent margin in the 2008 elections, even as Gerlach won with 52 percent of the vote.

Gerlach’s district includes some of the so-called Collar Counties, which ring Philadelphia. In the 2006 cycle, Democratic Reps. Joe Sestak and Patrick Murphy won other districts that include Collar Counties.

This year, Democrats had already begun mounting a strong challenge to Gerlach in Doug Pike (D), a retired journalist who is expected to wow observers with an impressive fundraising start. A Democratic source says Pike is expected to file a report with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday that shows he has raised more than $500,000 so far.

At the end of March, Gerlach reported having just under $125,000 on hand, though he has proven an impressive fundraiser in his own right. He spent almost $2.3 million in the 2008 cycle, after raising and spending nearly $3.5 million in 2006.

Meanwhile, Republicans are likely to turn to state Rep. Curt Schroder (R) as their candidate to hold onto the seat. Schroder, from Chester, had already started raising money before Gerlach made his plans known to fellow Republicans.

Gerlach had been courted by some Washington Republicans to run against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), though he declined earlier this year. Meanwhile, state Republicans had urged him to run for reelection in order to hold the seat.

In running for governor, Gerlach will face Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) and former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan (R) in the primary election. Democrats including businessman Tom Knox, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and state Auditor Jack Wagner are likely to run as well.