DiGiorgio out as state GOP chair after texting scandal

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Val DiGiorgio HARRISBURG — Former Chester County GOP Chair and row office holder Val DiGiorgio abruptly resigned Tuesday as Chairman of the state Republican Party, just hours after a series of stories in The Philadelphia Inquirer detailed a series of sexually-charged and graphic texts he reportedly shared with a female candidate for Philadelphia City Council. DiGiorgio,...

Don’t blame Trump for all of this chaos

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times I remember taking my mother to the hospital in December of 1992. X-rays showed a mass in her lung. By June, 1993, she was gone. We blamed the cancer. But in truth, it was all those years of smoking Pall Mall Gold 100s — as a kid, she used send me down to the local deli to pick up a couple of packs, which she smoked every day until about five years before she died,...

A shiny new year: things are about to get interesting

Congressional, legislative officials face new political minefields in 2017 By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times From Harrisburg to Washington, D.C., it is a bold, bright new year in politics. From fresh starts to fresh panics, 2017 looks to be among the most interesting ever in the history of our little republic — and possibly not in a good way, but time will tell. To kick off the year, we’ll gloss...

Comitta looks to be in good shape on 156th recount

Will there be a local price for GOP overreach? By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times So much for putting the feet up and enjoying the holiday season before wading back into this column in 2017 — so consider it a pre-holiday gift (or curse) — as news makes a surprise return needed. While the last provisional ballots have to be counted, it appears that Carolyn Comitta has pulled off a narrow win in...

Toomey makes pitch for reelection, expects strong turnout

Hits opponent McGinty on taxes, Iran deal U.S. Senator Pat Toomey speaks with supporters immediately after his campaign event Monday morning at the Classic Diner in Malvern. By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times MALVERN — A clearly energized Pat Toomey made the case for his reelection Monday morning in front of an overflow gathering at the Classic Diner, as the latest news headlines from the presidential...

The silliest of silly seasons cranks up

Playing the Walker ‘blame game’ and hijinks in the Sixth race By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times It’s just one month until election day and the gloves have come off, from dueling ads (of questionable veracity at times), protests, endorsements, temper tantrums and worst of all: the lawyers have been unleashed. So, in other words, it’s a pretty typical October, when politics goes from...

County GOP averts primary battle for Gerlach’s seat

After ‘seriously considering’ run, party chair won’t enter race By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times County Commissioners’ Chairman Ryan Costello is now the only GOP candidate expressing strong interest in the Sixth District Congressional seat being vacated by Jim Gerlach. A potential GOP slugfest for the Congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach has been averted. When...

Costello-DiGiorgio battle could have wide-ranging impact

Gerlach’s decision not to seek reelection touches off primary fight By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times That shattering and creaking sound you heard this week wasn’t from the extreme cold (unless you were near my nearly half-century old bones), but what would appear to be the shattering of a fragile unity among Chester County Republicans. When Jim Gerlach announced Monday that he would not seek...