Allyson Schwartz

AS A REGISTERED nurse and president of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, I can assure the people of the 13th Congressional District that they have a clear choice for Congress in Tuesday's Democratic primary: four-term state Sen. Allyson Schwartz. For 14 years, Allyson Schwartz has been a leader in making government work on behalf of regular everyday people. She has achieved landmark improvements in health-care access and affordability, worked tirelessly to create local jobs and stimulate economic development, tenaciously protected the interests of older Pennsylvanians and provided innovative leadership as an advocate for public schools.

RUNNING against State Sen. Allyson Schwartz for Congress, Melissa Brown carries an official-looking "United States Congress" notebook, which she admits she bought in the federal gift shop. We find this 10% endearing and 90% disturbing. It's the mark of a rookie, and underscores our strong endorsement of the more experienced Allyson Schwartz for the 13th district Congressional seat. Schwartz wants to expand children's health insurance, is fiscally responsible, and has a clear plan for economic growth.

MILFORD, Pa. - Liz Forrest hears the questions from fellow Democrats about Allyson Schwartz almost every time the talk turns to the 2014 governor's race. "People always ask, 'Will she play outside Philadelphia? Is she too liberal?' " Forrest said Thursday night during the monthly dinner meeting of the Pike County Democratic Committee. "Who cares? Philadelphia and Pittsburgh produce enough votes to win it. " The most important thing for Democrats is to send Republican Gov. Corbett packing, she said, and Schwartz has the money and political chops to make that happen.

On Aug. 25, a male staffer in U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz's Frankford office answered a call from a man identifying himself as Jesse Keel. Keel said that he needed help and that he always voted for Schwartz but that she had never done anything for him. Then he said he wasn't far away, was an ex-Marine and could jump on a bus with a rifle, stand across the street from Schwartz's office and shoot everyone in the office, according to court papers....

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Allyson Schwartz, a leader of the party's House campaign committee, called Wednesday for Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign after he admitted he sent lewd photos to women and talked dirty with them via Twitter and Facebook. Weiner's behavior was so offensive he has lost the ability to command respect from his constituents and brought dishonor to the House, Schwartz said. "As Americans we have the right to expect better behavior from members of Congresss, leaders of our country," Schwartz said in an interview.

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz is all but certain to run for governor next year, buoyed by a $3.1 million campaign fund and a recent poll that showed her leading Gov. Corbett in a test matchup, according to several people familiar with the Montgomery County Democrat's thinking. The five-term House member from Jenkintown has been positioning herself for a gubernatorial run for a couple of months. As evidence of her increasing prominence, the Pennsylvania GOP, in its statement last week responding to President Obama's State of the Union speech, asked: "When will Allyson Schwartz present a serious plan to control spending?"

Pa. 13th District This mainly Democratic district covers most of Northeast Philadelphia and much of southeastern and central Montgomery County. The Case for Schwartz U.S. representative Democrat, 58 Rydal Schwartz has a strong track record in public service. She is a specialist on a topic that concerns most Americans: making health care accessible. She spent more than three decades working in the nonprofit sector. As a state legislator, she fought for passage of Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program.

U.S. REP. Allyson Schwartz is a pearl-necklace-wearing policy wonk who prides herself on picking her battles and choosing her words carefully. But sometimes she just has to speak her mind. Even if it means telling one of her colleagues that he's being, well, a wiener. Schwartz, who represents parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, was the first Democratic member of Congress to publicly call on U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign last week in the wake of revelations that he'd sent explicit photos of himself to women he'd met on Twitter.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz has hired the state party's finance director for her own political operation, an indication the longtime congresswoman is seriously thinking about a run for the nomination to take on Gov. Corbett in 2014. Aubrey Montgomery, whose fund-raising is credited with putting Pennsylvania Democrats on a sound fiscal footing, informed her colleagues she was leaving in an e-mail Wednesday night. "While my time as a PA Dems staff member will be coming to an end, my commitment to the operation we've built, and the reputation we've earned, will continue as I move into this new role," Montgomery wrote.

U.S. REP. Allyson Schwartz has not officially announced plans to run for governor in 2014. But that hasn't stopped the rush of Democrats interested in grabbing her 13th District seat, which covers parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County. One of them, former City Controller Jonathan Saidel, predicts that Schwartz's political plans will be made clear next week. Saidel, who filed federal forms two weeks ago to run for her seat, said he signed on last week to serve as chairman of Schwartz's political-action committee for governor.

IT IS RARE for a city controller's race to feature a television ad. But Brett Mandel was looking for attention. And he got it. A group of 19 politically active people, calling themselves an "ad hoc group of Philadelphia progressives," demanded yesterday that Mandel withdraw his "misleading TV commercial. " On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers called Mandel's commercial a "distortion" of the record of City Controller Alan Butkovitz , who is seeking a third term.

Preserving more of Gettysburg Thanks to bipartisan leadership from Pennsylvania's congressional delegation, Congress may add the Gettysburg Train Station and 45 acres of key battlefield land to Gettysburg National Military Park. The train station served as a field hospital during the 1863 battle, and President Abraham Lincoln's train arrived there the night before he delivered one of history's most enduring speeches, the Gettysburg Address. The 45-acre tract at the foot of Big Round Top was the site of hard fighting.

AS U.S. REP. Allyson Schwartz gears up for a 2014 gubernatorial campaign, a familiar name is talking about succeeding her in the 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County. Marjorie Margolies, a former television reporter who teaches at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, held that seat for one term, from 1993 to 1995. She famously lost re-election after changing her 1993 vote on then-President Bill Clinton's budget, giving him a one-vote margin of victory that broke her promise not to support an increase in federal taxes.

U.S. REP. Allyson Schwartz has not officially announced plans to run for governor in 2014. But that hasn't stopped the rush of Democrats interested in grabbing her 13th District seat, which covers parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County. One of them, former City Controller Jonathan Saidel, predicts that Schwartz's political plans will be made clear next week. Saidel, who filed federal forms two weeks ago to run for her seat, said he signed on last week to serve as chairman of Schwartz's political-action committee for governor.

HARRISBURG - State Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery) said Monday that he would seek the U.S. House seat currently occupied by Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz, who is expected to run for governor next year. Leach is the first candidate to trumpet his bid for the 13th Congressional District seat, although two others, including former Philadelphia Controller Jonathan Saidel, have quietly filed the federal paperwork needed to enter the race. Leach said in an interview that he would launch his run Tuesday with an introductory video and a social media campaign.

MILFORD, Pa. - Liz Forrest hears the questions from fellow Democrats about Allyson Schwartz almost every time the talk turns to the 2014 governor's race. "People always ask, 'Will she play outside Philadelphia? Is she too liberal?' " Forrest said Thursday night during the monthly dinner meeting of the Pike County Democratic Committee. "Who cares? Philadelphia and Pittsburgh produce enough votes to win it. " The most important thing for Democrats is to send Republican Gov. Corbett packing, she said, and Schwartz has the money and political chops to make that happen.

U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.) said Friday that she would establish a state political committee in the next few weeks, an important procedural precursor to her expected run for governor of Pennsylvania. The six-term representative from Jenkintown has been traveling around the state trying to line up support. Should she pull the trigger, Schwartz said, she would not file to run simultaneously for her House seat. "Legally, I'm allowed to, but it wouldn't be right," she said.

ALLYSON SCHWARTZ used to be known as "Sen. Scarf. " This was during her days in the state Senate, where she served 14 years, and - as you likely figured out - almost always wore a scarf. These days, during her fifth term in Congress, she's wearing something else: a change of heart for a chance to make history. In November, even December, Schwartz seemed certain that she wouldn't challenge Tom Corbett for governor. Now she seems certain that she will. "It is my intention," she tells me, to give up her House seat and take on T.C. Why the change?

STATE SEN. Anthony Hardy Williams stopped just short this week of endorsing U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz if she challenges Gov. Corbett next year. After all, Schwartz isn't even a declared candidate yet. "I told her she could use my name in a fond and affectionate way," Williams told us. One person probably not using his name that way this week: state Treasurer Rob McCord . McCord is the other heavyweight in the state's Democratic camp considering ways to deny Corbett a second term.

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz is all but certain to run for governor next year, buoyed by a $3.1 million campaign fund and a recent poll that showed her leading Gov. Corbett in a test matchup, according to several people familiar with the Montgomery County Democrat's thinking. The five-term House member from Jenkintown has been positioning herself for a gubernatorial run for a couple of months. As evidence of her increasing prominence, the Pennsylvania GOP, in its statement last week responding to President Obama's State of the Union speech, asked: "When will Allyson Schwartz present a serious plan to control spending?"