Former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel in, Bill Green out as congressional candidates file

Former U.S. Rep Joe Hoeffel is making another run for Congress. He is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 4th Congressional District in Montgomery County as dozens of candidates file for newly drawn congressional seats Tuesday.

Hoeffel, 67, served three terms in Congress from 1999 to 2005 before leaving the seat to run unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. He also ran for Pennsylvania governor in 2010.

Hoeffel joins a Democratic primary field that includes state Reps. Madeleine Dean and Mary Jo Daley and former CeaseFirePA director Shira Goodman.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court set Tuesday as the deadline to file nominating petitions for Congress in the state after the court found the previous congressional boundaries to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

The court itself redrew the congressional lines, and Republican challenges to those districts in federal court were rejected Monday.

Other moves

Former Philadelphia City Councilman Bill Green has decided not to challenge U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle in the new 2nd Congressional District covering the eastern half of Philadelphia.

Although nominating petitions circulated to put Green on the ballot, he said in an email that it was “too late to mount a credible bid” for the seat.

Former bank executive Michele Lawrence is also running in the Democratic primary for that district. David Torres has filed to run as a Republican.

Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick will have at least one primary challenger in the 1st Congressional District centered on Bucks County.

Doylestown attorney Dean Malik, an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, has filed to challenge Fitzpatrick. Former Yardley Borough council member Valerie Mihalek has also announced plans to run in the May 15 primary.

A crowded field is emerging as expected in the new 4th Congressional District centered on Delaware County. As many as 15 Democrats had announced for the seat at one point. Current Delaware U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, a Republican, decided not to seek re-election after it was revealed he’d settled a sexual harassment accusation.

As of late on filing day, 13 Democrats had filed. One who’d announced and dropped out, State Rep. Greg Vitali, decided to enter the race after all.

And Mary Ellen Balchunis, twice the Democratic nominee for Congress in the old 7th Congressional District, did not file after announcing recently she would make a run for Congress in the new 5th. She told me it was hard to get enough signatures on nominating petitions having started so late in the game.

Former prosecutor Kim Pearl is the endorsed Republican candidate for that seat. Businessman Paul Addis, who’d explored runs for governor and U.S. Senate, has also filed to run as a Republican in the primary.

In the 6th Congressional District, Chester County incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello has filed for his party’s primary, along with Greg McCauley. Chrissy Houlahan, who announced last year for the Democratic primary, has also filed to run.

I’ll try to update my list of candidates who’ve filed for Pennsylvania Congressional seats in the Philadelphia area throughout the day.

Here’s the list of those who’ve as of about 4:45 p.m.

1st District (mostly Bucks County)

Republican Brian Fitzpatrick (incumbent)

Republican Dean Malik

Democrat Rachel Reddick

Democrat Steve Bacher

Democrat Scott Wallace

2nd District (eastern half of Philadelphia)

Democrat Brendan Boyle (incumbent)

Democrat Michele Lawrence

Republican David Torres

3rd District (western half of Philadelphia)

Democrat Dwight Evans (incumbent)

Democrat Kevin Johnson

Republican Bryan Lieb

4th District (mostly Montgomery County)

Democrat Madeleine Dean

Democrat Mary Jo Daley

Democrat Shira Goodman

Democrat Joe Hoeffel

Republican Dan David

5th District (mostly Delaware County)

Democrat Dan Muroff

Democrat David Wertime

Democrat Rich Lazer

Democrat Molly Sheehan

Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon

Democrat Larry Arata

Democrat George Badey

Democrat Shelly Chauncey

Democrat Ashley Lunkenheimer

Democrat Thaddeus Kirkland

Democrat Margo Davidson

Democrat Greg Vitali

Democrat Theresa Wright

Democrat Lindy Li

Republican Pearl Kim

Republican Paul Addis

6th District (mostly Chester County)

Republican Ryan Costello (incumbent)

Republican Greg McCauley

Democrat Chrissy Houlahan