Governor

HARRISBURG - Former Pennsylvania Gov. George M. Leader, the son of a chicken farmer who was elected to the state's highest office before he turned 40, died yesterday after a brief illness. He was 95. Two grandchildren were at Leader's side when he died at his home at Country Meadows assisted-living center in Hershey, a spokeswoman for the facility said. The center was the first in a network of 10 such facilities that Leader and his wife founded in 1985. A Democrat who was the second-youngest person to be elected Pennsylvania governor, Leader fought to rid government of patronage jobs and improve social services.

The Pennsylvania Constitution says the state must "provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth. " And yet, for the third year in a row, we look to the Corbett administration to help us fill a sizable hole in the School District of Philadelphia budget. The district's "ask" is $120 million from Harrisburg and $60 million from the city to prevent the elimination of art, music, sports, school nurses, guidance counselors, assistant principals, all after-school activities, and more.

Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. declined Tuesday to challenge Gov. Corbett in the 2014 Republican primary, citing the difficulty of such a "massive undertaking" given his other obligations. His decision came after months of seeking to translate grumbling about the governor's performance from some GOP activists into support for an insurgent candidacy. It removes one potential headache for Corbett, whose anemic approval ratings in recent polls have Democrats lining up to run against him. "Simply put, my duties as Montgomery County commissioner, a lawyer with Elliott Greenleaf, and the responsibilities to my family make a massive undertaking such as running for governor impossible for me this election cycle," Castor said in a statement posted Tuesday afternoon to his Facebook page.

NEWARK, N.J. - Answering questions about weight-loss surgery he had kept secret for 12 weeks, Gov. Christie on Tuesday rejected a political motivation but squelched most other inquiries about the details. He declined to say how much he weighs now and how much weight he has lost. It's none of anyone's business, he said. He conceded he used an alias at the hospital, but declined to say what it was. "I turned 50 years old, and it made me think - [you get] confronted with your own mortality as you start to age," Christie said.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Former Republican South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford revived a scandal-scarred political career by winning back his old congressional seat Tuesday in a district that had not elected a Democrat in three decades. The comeback was complete when he defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, the sister of political satirist Stephen Colbert. With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, Sanford had 54 percent of the vote. Sanford, who turns 53 later this month, has never lost a race in three runs for Congress and two for governor.

When challenged, Gov. Christie sometimes yells like a Marine gunnery sergeant, calling reporters, citizens, and opponents alike stupid. Judging by his stratospheric poll ratings, voters love that shtick. He's "Jersey Strong. " And how often did former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell say something outrageous, such as opining in 2006 that many old people love casinos because they "lead very gray lives"? After a brief flare, the outrage faded, as it always did; it was just Ed being Ed. Last week, Gov. Corbett mentioned in a radio interview that he had heard some employers say they have trouble finding workers who can pass a drug test - and for that moment of candor, he caught three days of hell, both from Democrats running to replace him in 2014 and from media commentators.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Opponents of capital punishment marked a milestone Thursday as Maryland became the first state south of the Mason-Dixon Line to abolish the death penalty. The passage was a significant victory for Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Roman Catholic who opposes capital punishment and is considering seeking the 2016 presidential nomination. Death penalty opponents said the governor helped maintain the national momentum of repeal efforts by making Maryland the sixth state in as many years to abolish capital punishment.

Now there are five. Kate McGinty, a former Pennsylvania environmental protection secretary and adviser in the Clinton White House, is the latest candidate to declare for the 2014 Democratic nomination for governor. McGinty's entry into the race means U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz of Montgomery County will not have an uncontested shot at the support of activists and voters who yearn for a woman as governor. "I quit my day job," McGinty, daughter of a police officer from Northeast Philadelphia, said.

U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz launched her campaign for the 2014 Democratic nomination for governor Monday, declaring that Gov. Corbett's "failed leadership" has crippled the Pennsylvania economy in a competitive world. "He's just missing in action most of the time," Schwartz, of Montgomery County, said in an interview. She noted that the state's unemployment rate has been well above the national average during Corbett's term. "What I'm hearing from people around the state is that they know we need a fresh perspective about the economy and growth.

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.