“I’m disappointed because Mike’s been a partner in our leadership team the last four years, but if he wants to have this fight then let’s have it.” – House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody
By Kevin Zwick
Staff Reporter
Capitolwire
HARRISBURG (Nov. 7) – Rep. Mike Sturla is officially challenging House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody.
The Democrats’ dismal performance in Tuesday’s election was “sort of the exclamation point” on why he’s challenging Dermody, said Sturla, D-Lancaster, currently the caucus’ policy committee chairman.
“I don’t think anybody can look back on the last four years and say that our caucus did everything that was possible, and I think there’s a lot of members that felt there were different things we could have done, whether that be floor debates, or getting the message out through the media as to what it was we were trying to get accomplished,” Sturla said in a brief phone interview Friday.
“As a result of that, it culminates in not having good election results,” he said. “It’s kinda incomprehensible that you could have a Republican Caucus that pretty much voted 100 percent with a governor that lost by 10 points and they would pick up eight seats.”
Sturla acknowledged Democrats faced national headwinds because of President Obama’s unpopularity, but he said Dermody, as leader, should take some responsibility.
“If in another eight years we’re down eight members, you won’t have to encourage me to me step down,” Sturla said. He said some were unhappy with Dermody’s vote in favor for a GOP-led redistricting effort and then a failure to pick up even a few districts which were supposed to favor Democrats. “That’s part of the responsibility that goes along with leadership.”
“Few were as disappointed in the outcome of House races as I was and it was a terrible election for Democrats all over the country,” Dermody said via email. “But I remain proud of the caucus’ hard work and the successful fights we waged on issues for the last four years. We know it played a large role in Tom Corbett not being governor any more. As I continue talking with colleagues directly, I am listening to all of their concerns.”
The House Democrats lost three incumbents and Republicans picked up five open seats. In the open seats, Democrats lost Rep. Deb Kula’s Fayette County seat (she lost a bid for the Senate); a Chester County seat which was moved from central Pennsylvania that was thought to favor Democrats; the 115th, which was held by long-time Lackawanna County Democrat Ed Staback before being moved to Monroe County; retiring Rep. Phyllis Mundy’s Luzerne County seat; and an old Philadelphia seat that was moved to southern York County.
On the issues, Dermody defended his leadership over the past two sessions.
“Our caucus has been on the right track with issues and we led the way in defeating Tom Corbett’s worst ideas. We stopped him from passing his extreme right-wing agenda,” Dermody said. “We were the first to shed light on Corbett’s devastating cuts to public education and his foolish plan to outsource the state lottery. We fought to save the jobs and hard-earned pensions of public-sector workers and to give local zoning rights back to communities. And we led the fight to end Corbett’s outrageous voter ID requirements.”
Sturla made clear he considers Dermody a close, personal friend and colleague, but said “at some point in time, when something’s not working, that needs to change.” He said Dermody is talented but not suited for floor leader.
Dermody said he was disappointed Sturla “didn’t see the value in what our leadership team did together.”
Dermody was elected floor leader at the start of the 2011-12 session, after serving as whip the prior year when Democrats held a very narrow majority in the chamber. His election to leader coincided with a move by the caucus to elect leaders from outside of the party’s stronghold in Philadelphia: Allegheny County’s Dermody, Appropriations Chairman Joe Markosek, and Caucus Chairman Dan Frankel, and the northcentral region’s Mike Hanna, from Clinton County, as Whip.
There also appears to be another leadership position battle brewing: Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D-Beaver, is throwing his hat into the ring for policy committee chairman, pitting him against Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Philadelphia.
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