Democrats seek strong leader to secure midterm dominance in PA

Pennsylvania Democrats are in the center of the perfect political storm heading into the midterm election. After a huge and decisive setback in the 2016 presidential election, state Democrats are positioned to turn current challenges into successes that have the potential to be felt nationally. For anyone with even a little interest in Democratic politics, Pennsylvania is the place to pull up a chair.

Heading into 2018, Democrats have prospects that would have been deemed unthinkable 14 months ago. It’s important that we re-elect Gov. Tom Wolf and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. With the congressional delegation, unthinkable opportunities abound, with or without court decisions on gerrymandering expediting the matter. There is movement afoot among Democrats to regain middle-of-the-road, Main Street voters who are the prized powerhouse of either state party. That opens the door for Democrats to pick up congressional seats. Trump State Pennsylvania could turn out to be the place that gets Democrats to the magical number of 218.

{mosads}Politicos just need to look at what is happening in the Lehigh Valley. This eastern Pennsylvania district, which traditionally has favored Republicans, is ripe for change with Republican Rep. Charlie Dent’s retirement. Dent has been the definition of a successful, moderate Pennsylvania Republican, but early internal polling shows that Democrats have a shot at taking the seat.

Also setting up the chessboard are some tremendous changes in the Republican-dominated state House, where the speaker and majority leader have announced that each will run for higher office. There are multiple retirements by moderate southeastern Republican state senators who represent districts that mirror the demographics of Dent’s Lehigh Valley district, which is only a little further north. Played the right way, the historic lows of Democrat partisan composition in the legislature could very well be on the precipice of historic gains.

Of course, before we get to the big show in November, primaries have to take place, which can be bruising. As part of that cycle, members of the Democratic State Committee will be elected in anticipation of the June election of a Democratic State Party chair to replace Marcel Groen, who resigned Feb. 2. On the periphery, the other reality is people on the left and center-left, who before were not politically engaged, now are engaged. These new activists are showing up in public squares and on the ballot. You can’t argue that it is an embarrassment of riches — we’ve got good groups full of great people, all of whom possess the best of intentions. The names and faces of these folks matter little. It’s the net effect, the cumulative effort that makes all the difference.

By any objective standard, herein lies a great opportunity, but unfortunately, as with all things in Democratic politics, they come with an undeniable downside.

If you look at history, all of these disparate groups have proven to be as quick to turn on fellow Democrats as they are to focus their energies on Republicans. Once the primaries are decided, Democrats will make historic change only if we all work together. If we don’t work together, if we allow grievances to linger a moment beyond the night of the primary election, Democrats will lose.

The other underlining, bold, strike-the-box challenge is the net effect of the Citizens United court decision. The nonprofit organization has money pouring in, much of which is directed for a good reason from good people, but it calls attention to our party’s penchant for having the oars of our boat rowing in different directions.

Successful, winning, coordinated campaigns need someone in charge. That person does need not be autocratic or a self-important know-it-all, but someone who has the ability to harness all of this energy, arbitrate and facilitate, take shots and throw elbows, give direction and take instruction, and ultimately decide how and where resources are used and spent. It is the rare person who knows the road yet has the ability to walk on both sides of the street, but if Democrats are going to harness and amplify all of this electric interest we can’t have 17 people in charge.

The political landscape has been redefined, which means Democratic Party leadership has to evolve in the context of Pennsylvania’s political reality. Whoever the next leader of the party is, he or she must figure out how to remain relevant in the decision-making and successful beyond the power of the party’s internal imprimatur and mail permit. We have so much going for us — the numbers, the infrastructure and the national dynamic that is impacting the state dynamic in a positive way. It’s a great opportunity — but good leaders understand that success isn’t for the taking. Good political leaders earn it.

T.J. Rooney is the former chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee and a principal at Tri State Strategies Pennsylvania and RooneyNovak Bipartisan Solutions.