Presidential hopefuls charge into Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania primary race is on, and the circus is coming to town — we’ll log three presidential candidate visits in the Keystone State by week’s end.

 

Ohio Gov. John Kasich will be in Center City Philadelphia for a fundraiser Thursday evening, then in Hershey for a town hall event Friday morning.

There’s a Republican meeting in Hershey Friday, which will draw Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.And Bernie Sanders will hold a “Future You Can Believe In” rally Thursday morning at the Pittsburgh convention center.

Sound familiar?In an interesting case of political branding, state Rep. Dwight Evans’ new TV ad for his congressional campaign borrows a slogan from an ad during Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s campaign last year.Evans’ ad declares that he’ll be a “block by block congressman.” It’s an awkward phrase to my ear, but it means to convey the candidate’s commitment to improving communities, block by block, whatever it takes.

In ads placed last spring, the super PAC Philadelphia Forward declared that, if elected, Jim Kenney would be a “block by block mayor.”

The ads in both cases were produced by veteran Philadelphia media consultant Saul Shorr.

Evans endorsed Kenney for mayor, and Kenney has now endorsed Evans for Congress.

Evans is challenging indicted U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah in the Democratic primary April 26. Also in that race are Philadelphia attorney and ward leader Dan Muroff and Lower Merion Township Commissioner Brian Gordon.

WHYY will host a debate among the Democratic candidates Monday, April 11th at 8 a.m. The event is open to the public, but you should register here.