Defeating Pike, who had previously been considered the presumptive nominee, was impressive. But that was the easy part. Trivedi now faces Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, who most analysts believe is well-positioned to win a fifth term next month in the sprawling district that includes portions of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lehigh counties.
Gerlach, 55, of Chester Springs, knows how to win tough elections. He was first elected to the state House in 1990 – by a 23-vote margin – and served as a state senator before his election to Congress in 2002. National Democrats have repeatedly targeted Gerlach, only to fall a couple points short each time.
"I have one of the most competitive districts in the country," Gerlach said after a recent debate. There wasn't much concern in his voice. Maybe even a hint of pride.
In fact, the misshapen 6th District is the nation's most competitive when ranked by vote margins, according to a University of Minnesota analysis. Gerlach has won by an average of only 2.6 percentage points in the last four elections.
He survived 2006, when his Republican colleagues in the neighboring 7th and 8th Congressional Districts lost their jobs, and Democrats won control of Congress for the first time in 12 years. And he expanded on his margin of victory in 2008, even though 58 percent of the district's voters supported President Obama.
Trivedi, of Birdsboro, near Reading, is hoping that living in Berks County will enable him to chip away at Gerlach's strong support there.
"He's gone 'Washington' and we need a new breed of leaders, people who understand this community, who have real-world experience and unique insights," Trivedi said. "Not Beltway insiders."
The son of Indian immigrants who worked at the Red Cheek apple-juice factory, Trivedi served as a battalion surgeon with one of the first Marine Corps units to enter Iraq in 2003. He later earned his master's degree in health policy and was a health-care adviser for the Obama campaign.
