Pa. lawmakers go local

Six sitting state representatives won primary elections for local offices last week. Most of the lawmakers looking for new jobs come from the southeast. Two are running for Philadelphia City Council, one for Philadelphia Sheriff, and another for Montgomery County Commissioner. Republican Doug Reichley, who won a judicial primary in Lehigh County, downplayed the idea that frustration with Harrisburg has anything to do with the attempted return to local politics.”I think these things come and go in cycles. I think there were just two members in the 2009 elections that ran. So I think it was more just a coincidence this year with the number of members who are looking at other elective offices,” he said. But Reichley concedes the desire to spend more time with his two children, and less on the road to and from the Capitol, played a role in his decision to run for judge. Four of the lawmakers are Democrats. The fact their party shifted from majority to minority this year likely played a role in their decision to look for a new job.