PA GOP chair wants Gerlach to stay in House

by Jeremy P. Jacobs - 05/11/09 9:59 AM ET

Odd comments from Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason, who says he would rather Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) run for reelection than run for governor or Senate.

According to pa2010.com, Gleason said: “I get a little indigestion when Gerlach wants to move up, and I don’t want to stop him from moving up, but I want to hold that seat. I think he’s done a great job, and I hope he’ll stay there.”

Sure, Gerlach has a tough district to hold, and Republicans already have their frontrunner in the governor’s race in state Attorney General Tom Corbett. But why not the Senate race?

Gerlach packs centrist appeal and a winning track record in a tough state and could prove a solid GOP option there. And isn’t winning the Senate race a little more important than one of 19 House seats?

It makes you wonder if Gleason and others already have their eyes on another option, which probably isn’t former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

-Aaron Blake