Bob Kerns

Earlier this year two Republican candidates for Congress complained they were getting no love from Republicans.  One of the candidates, Michael Livingston, was so frustrated he dropped out of the race. Livingston was challenging entrenched Congressman Chaka Fattah in PA-2.  Livingston blamed the local, state and national parties for not supporting his effort. A similar tone was heard from PA-13 where Marina Kats is challenging Allyson Schwartz for the Montgomery County seat. Kats also announced she was not happy with the support she was receiving from the parties.

DENVER-The chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Committee lashed out at County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel today for comments he made during the Democratic convention here this week, calling them a "partisan rant" that necessitated his resignation from the county election board.

In an address to the state delegation Wednesday, reported by PolitickerPa.com, Hoeffel, a former Congressman, celebrated the county's new Democratic majority.

"We know, and the Republicans know, that Republicans will never again have a majority in Montgomery County," Hoeffel said.

County GOP chairman Bob Kerns called those comments "inappropriate for an elected official."

"These are not idle comments from an elected official, these are ominous remarks from the man who oversees elections in Montgomery County," Kerns said in a statement. "Voters of all parties should be leery of such bombast from someone who has an obligation to conduct fair and scandal-free elections. Hoeffel owes Montgomery County voters an apology for such reckless remarks."

In a brief phone interview this afternoon, Hoeffel waved off the criticism.

"I was speaking as an elected Democrat to the Democratic delegation of the convention," he said. "My comments were totally appropriate and not at all connected with my duties as chairman of the Montgomery County election board.

The Montgomery County Republican Committee has turned to Bob Kerns to try to turn things around in a County that was a solid Republican vote not long ago.  Kerns had been facing a challenge from Jim Vlahos and the long time Republican leadership in Montgomery County, but eventually received enough endorsements to cause Vlahos to drop his bid.  Kerns will try to heal a badly fractured party.