Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Former Congressman and current US Senate candidate Pat Toomey is making a swing through McKean County today. "I want to learn as much as I can about the county – what's important here and what's important to the future of northern Pennsylvania and northwestern Pennsylvania," said the Republican from Zionsville. Toomey spent some time at Zippo Manufacturing Company in Bradford and the McKean County Courthouse in Smethport. Earlier this year, speculation was running rampant on whether Toomey would challenge Senator Arlen Specter for his Senate seat. Now that Specter has switched from the Republican to the Democratic party, Toomey's challenger in the primary will be Peg Luksik of Johnstown. Congressman Joe Sestak is challenging Specter. Toomey said he made the final decision to run because of the direction the government in Washington began to take. "They're doing things that are not good for Pennsylvania, not good fo...

Senator Arlen Specter's visits to Kane, St. Marys, Warren and Emporium Tuesday weren't quite as heated as recent town hall meetings on the proposed federal health care reform bill. The main purpose of Specter's visits was to meet with local Democratic leaders. He switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic in April. Former Congressman Pat Toomey and Johnstown activist Peg Luksik are running in the Republican primary for the senate seat Specter has held since 1981. Congressman Joe Sestak will go head-to-head with Specter in the Democratic primary. Specter is meeting with Democrats in Brookville and Clarion today. Sestak will be my guest on tomorrow's LiveLine.

Former Congressman John Peterson is calling for Arlen Specter to retire, and says he won't support the senator in his re-election bid next year. Peterson says the reason he won't support Specter is the senator's age. Specter will be 80 next year. Peterson didn't endorse either Pat Toomey or Peg Luksik, who have announced that they're running for the seat. He says he's waiting to see who else runs in the primary. For the full story, go to Roll Call.com .

We told you this last week, but here's the official announcement: Johnstown, PA – Seated at a Johnstown kitchen table earlier today, conservative Republican Peg Luksik announced that she will seek the Republican nomination for the United States Senate seat currently held by Arlen Specter of Philadelphia. “Americans from all walks of life, and across the political spectrum are sick and tired of the arrogance of Washington’s elitists,” said Luksik. “Pennsylvania’s hard-working citizens deserve elected representatives who use the same level of common sense that we use around our kitchen tables. “ The 53-year old mother of six is well-known across Pennsylvania as a savvy, “no nonsense” political activist who advocates strong family values, the sanctity of life, conservative fiscal policies and a strong national defense. “In the last few years we have not only seen the erosion of many of the core values upon which this country was founded, but we have also endured the greedy, embarrass...

A conservative activist from Johnstown who ran for governor three times in the 1990s says she'll challenge Arlen Specter for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate next year. Peg Luksik said Tuesday she is not deterred by the prospective candidacy of former congressman Pat Toomey, a fellow conservative who narrowly lost to Specter in the 2004 primary. Toomey recently said he's considering running again in 2010. For more on this story, visit the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat .