Bob Mellow

Two weeks ago the Senate Republican Committee convinced Bob Regola to step aside because polling showed him losing badly in his race and he was replaced by Kim Ward.  It appears Republicans are not the only ones who pick their candidates with polling information.

Today the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee will be picking their candidate for PA-47 to replace Sean Ramaley.  Last week Lawrence County supported Jason Petrella and Beaver County has supported County Commissioner Joe Spanik.  With each candidate getting the support of one county the decision was sent to the State Democratic Executive Committee. 

Early word was the Executive Committee was going to strongly support Spanik who has long been active in the party.  Petrella seems to have an advantage though heading into the vote thanks to polling that shows him running stronger in a general election.  According to one source Democratic Senate Leader Bob Mellow is working the phones hard to make sure Petrella is the candidate because of his stronger polling numbers.  While both candidates polled ahead of Republican Elder Vogel, but according to a source Petrella was stronger.  We have had reports that Mellow has been joined by other Senators on the phone, but have yet been unable to confirm.

Gov. Ed RendellPennsylvanians won't cast their general election ballots for the next governor for more than two years. But with attention squarely focused on this year's presidential race, a large field of potential contenders are already lining up, each one sizing up his chances to succeed two-term Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.

It's a surprisingly crowded field for how far away the election is, a field political watchers and analysts describe as impressive on both sides of the aisle. And with neither an incumbent nor a state household name in yet in play, most are forecasting a race that will be difficult to predict, one in which almost anyone could come out on top.

"It's an election that could go any way at the moment," said G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster. "I don't see a clear favorite or even a clear party."

Longtime political consultant Larry Ceisler said: "I think you're going to have a lot of people running, and I think whatever I'm saying today, I will probably refute in 2010."

If there are any favorites at this early stage, there's also disagreements on who they are.

TJ Rooney and the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania was solidly behind Hillary Clinton and delivered for her in the primary. When Barack Obama won this week the Party was quick to get behind Obama which makes them a winner this week.  Find out who else made the Winners and Losers list for June 6, 2008.

State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf is optimistic that a compromise on a statewide smoking ban can be reached: Getty Images PhotoOne of the General Assembly's biggest smoke-free advocates is cautiously optimistic Tuesday's conference committee meeting will finally resolve the state's frequently stalled smoking ban.

"But we'll see," said state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery County). "I'm zero for my last five."

Greenleaf was referring to previous attempts at compromise that sputtered. The last one, in May, ended before it began when members of the six-person committee did not even show for the scheduled meeting.