Welch Not Yielding to Gerlach Yet
It appears Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) will have a primary contest now that he’s officially running for re-election.Businessman Steve Welch (R) said Friday afternoon in a statement that he is staying in the race despite Gerlach’s decision to abandon his gubernatorial bid and seek another term.“As I have said before I admire Jim’s commitment to public service and look forward to a professional, spirited debate on the best way to revive the American Dream and stop burdening our children with mountains of debt,— Welch said.However, a Republican insider with knowledge of Welch’s campaign seemed to hedge on whether he is refusing to step aside. The source said that no official decision has been made yet.The Pennsylvania primary is scheduled for May 18.Welch had already loaned his campaign just over $500,000 for his bid. He switched races earlier this year to run for Gerlach’s seat, changing from the neighboring 7th district after former U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan (R) announced he was running for that seat instead of for governor.