MontoCo Dems prepare to replace Royster on ballot for 70th house district

Almost two months after Dwayne Royster cut short his bid for a state house seat in Montgomery County, Democrats there have laid the groundwork for attorney and former Norristown official Matt Bradford to replace him on the ballot.

Party officials have already endorsed Bradford, and expect approval from state officials to put him on the ballot to come this week, Montgomery County Democratic Committee chairman Marcel Groen said Monday.

"Matt's always been high on our list with this particular seat," Groen told PolitickerPA.com. "We've asked him a couple times if he'd like to consider running. When Mr. Royster withdrew, we went back to him again and I guess he thought that circumstances were right.

"We're excited about it because we think that he's a phenomenal candidate," he added.

Royster announced in May that he was pulling out of the race in May for personal reasons. Many political watchers consider Bradford, who as a municipal administrator significantly turned around Norristown's finances, to be a far stronger candidate with better fundraising acumen.

Two years ago, current Republican incumbent state Rep. Jay Moyer (R-Lower Salford) nearly lost to a far less experienced candidate, beating Netta Young Hughes by 103 votes. This time around, with the county continuing its Democratic shift, many political watchers are expecting the 70th Legislative District seat to change hands. The district includes Norristown and Worcester townships.

Neither Moyer nor Bradford could be immediately reached Monday morning. But Groen was nothing but enthusiastic about Bradford's chances for winning the race.

"He's young, he's energetic, he's hardworking," Groen said of the soon-to-be challenger. "We hope and expect that he'll win,"