Inching toward guv race, Rohrer looks to test power of conservatives

A small congressional district in upstate New York was briefly a focal point of national politics this fall, when a conservative challenger made so much noise against a party-endorsed Republican that the GOP’s initially-favored candidate actually dropped out of the special election. The Democrats eventually captured the state’s 23rd District, but for a moment, the race served up the starkest illustration of conservatives’ attempts to build a political movement, with our without help from establishment Republicans.

It is into this electoral climate that state Representative Sam Rohrer (R-Berks) appears poised to dive headfirst. The longtime conservative lawmaker has been considering a run for governor, and conversations with Rohrer and people familiar with his thinking indicate that he is increasingly likely to do just that. He has formed a committee to raise money and has been gauging support from conservatives around the state. His chief political adviser says it will be “very difficult” for Rohrer to stay on the sidelines. And at least some grassroots conservatives seem more than ready to hear him out.

If he ultimately makes a run, Rohrer will face a candidate widely perceived as the party’s preferred nominee in state Attorney General Tom Corbett, and a higher-profile lawmaker in Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6). But more than any specific political matchup, his candidacy would be a significant test of whether conservatives can build a successful, party-bucking campaign in an expensive, statewide race.

http://www.pa2010.com/2009/11/inching-toward-guv-race-rohrer-looks-to-test-power-of-conservatives/