Hirsh, Piccola tussle over reform, ties to district

Democrat candidate Judy Hirsh faces longtime state Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin County) this fall.: Politicker PhotoLongtime state Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin County) coasted to re-election in 2004 by 22 percentage points and by 35 percentage points in 2000.

Piccola's opponent this year thinks 2008 will be different -- she said she just needs to get the 15th Senatorial District to examine his record.

"Jeff Piccola has never had a serious challenger," said Democrat Judy Hirsh, who talked to PolitickerPA.com as she sat in the office of her real estate consulting business about a 10-minute drive from Harrisburg. "His record has never been put before his district."

Hirsh, a former Susquehanna Township commissioner candidate, said she will try to paint his record as entrenched in the status quo and out of touch with the district as she tries to overcome her underdog status in a district that has shifted leftward in recent years.

But Piccola countered he has been one of the legislature's leading reformer's whose independence has consistently appealed to independents and Democrats. He tackled the status quo long before it became in vogue, he said.

"I was a reformer before it was fashionable to be a reformer," Piccola said, noting efforts he's made to reduce property taxes, push judicial reform and call for a Constitutional Convention. "The issues have caught up to me."

The 15th Senatorial District covers most of Dauphin County, including Harrisburg, and the northern tip of York County. Politicos buzzed earlier this year when the number of registered Democrats in the county passed the number of Republicans, what many observers said was unthinkable even a decade ago.

The presence of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) could further drive new Democrats to the polls in November, a surge Hirsh said she could "piggy-back" off.

"So many people are energized by his candidacy," she said. "Everyone is excited."

Piccola said he's not concerned -- he always runs for re-election during a presidential year when turnout is high.

"Historically we've had surges of turnout in the city," he said. "And the problem is, the city is an increasingly shrinking percentage of the district."

Piccola admitted the GOP brand has suffered, but said polls conducted by his campaign indicate his support remains the same.

"It's a concern of mine because I think it demonstrates a failure not of me, but of the Republican Party," he said. "But that isn't my job. It's to represent the people, not the party."

Piccola has tried unsuccessfully to run for governor and gain a leadership position in the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority. His attempts haven't gone unnoticed, Hirsh said.

"It seems to me he's tired of being in the Senate," she said. "So the question is, what does Jeff Piccola really want to be doing?"

He certainly isn't spending much time connecting with voters in his district, Hirsh added.

Her accusation is completely off the mark, Piccola said, noting the number of civic, religious and Masonic organizations he's part of in the district.

"I've knocked on doors in all parts of this district the last election cycle and all of Dauphin County," he said. "I don't know how you get more in touch with the community."

He added: "I don't know what she does. Honestly, I don't know much about her."

CORRECTION: Hirsh is not a former commissioner of Susquehanna Township, only a former candidate.