20th Senate District roundup

As predicted State Sen. Charles Lemmond has endorsed his former aide Lisa Baker as his successor.

And the other candidates are not happy about it.

Baker opponent Russ Bigus was angered by Lemmond's endorsement, saying the incumbent should have stayed neutral.

"If he is going to support her, it puts her in the status of an incumbent," Bigus said. "I don't think we need any more Harrisburg insiders in our state."

Another Baker opponent, Kingston Mayor Jim Haggerty, claimed Baker's upcoming fund-raisers with former Gov. Tom Ridge prove Baker is "a Harrisburg insider" who is "out of touch." Ridge plans to attend Baker fund-raiser on Monday.

Last week Haggerty blasted her list of accomplishments.

On her campaign Web site, Baker touts a long list of accomplishments when she was a top aide for former Govs. Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker and state Sen. Charles Lemmond, who 'sn’t seeking re-election as the state senator of the 20th District.
Kingston Mayor Jim Haggerty, one of four Republicans running for the seat, said "it’s silly and a disservice" for Baker to take credit for others' accomplishments.
"She has no record of her own," Haggerty said. "The voters are entitled to a list of Lisa Baker's government accomplishments, not Tom Ridge's, not the legislature's, not things she attended ribbon cuttings for."

TL columnist Casey Jones has picked his early favorite in the race:

I had to choose today I'd go with Carl Sutton for state Senate. That's a decision based entirely on his occupation. Sutton is a psychotherapist. Having a psychotherapist on the floor could only help. Say the Senate was about to vote themselves a big pay raise. That’s where Sutton would come in handy.

"Fellow senators," he would say, rising to his feet. "You’re out of your minds."

I can guess who will be the primary target in the upcoming debate at College Misericordia March 29, 7 p.m.

The other candidates are Republican David Madeira, Dallas and Democrat Robert McNamara, Susquehanna.

Bill Fitz has a great rundown of the mechanics of the race at My Take.