Can The Dems Turn A Red Seat Blue?

Do the Democrats stand a chance of scoring a seat in Pennsylvania’s very red 5th District?

Well, let’s just say things are looking better for the Dems than in past years.

Since Rep. John Peterson (R-Pa.) announced he was retiring last week, Republicans have had a tough time finding a worthy candidate to replace the popular six-termer.

So far, Matt Shaner, a 28-year-old hotel developer and political neophyte, is the only man running on the R side.

But that could change quickly.

Republicans familiar with the campaign say John Krohn, an Iraq war veteran and Penn State alumnus, may emerge as a potential candidate along with Ken Kane, a local businessman who runs a timber consultancy firm. But Kane, Republicans say, could be their main squeeze, because he shares a common base of support with Peterson.

Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Republican leaders are “currently engaged in the recruitment process and are confident that a candidate will emerge in the near future.”

“The district is a Republican stronghold and we fully anticipate that it will remain a very deep shade of red,” Spain said.

But Democrats have lined up two state representatives, Dan Surra and Mike Hanna, to try to win the seat.

Carrie James, a spokeswoman with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called the candidates “impressive.”