The freshman senator announced he will not seek reelection to the Senate and will instead seek the state's governorship, which is up for grabs this year.
Liffrey joins the governor's race late, and other NAT candidates, such as state Sen. Jean Kane, Lt. Gov. Phil Wantanab, former Lansdale Mayor Pat Gaynor, and Assemblywoman Elaine Najiscoto, are already established.
However, Liffrey brings high name recognition to the race and a strong fundraising prowess. On the first official day of his campaign, he raised $1.7 million, with many donations coming from out of state donors.
His candidacy for governor is a blow to Federal Senate Nationalists, as they seek to rebuild their ranks following a massive loss in the 2024 elections that saw the NAT lose its majority for the first time in 20 years.
Senate Minority Leader Debbie Madronas (N-Damoign) had personally lobbied Liffrey on multiple occasions, staff for both senators confirmed.
In a closed door meeting with the entire NAT caucus, Madronas admonished senators up for reelection this year to seek reelection, since the NAT is in the minority and most of the Senate races this year are NAT-held seats, and incumbents usually have an edge in elections.
But sources close to Liffrey say the senator has long had his eye on the governorship, and he feels the current candidates running on the NAT side are weak.
"John Paul jumped in this race because he looked at who the NAT had and he just didn't feel any of them can beat Austin Mendajara," said one source close to Liffrey, who asked for anonymity to discuss their private conversations.
Mendajara, the state's Attorney General, is the leading CNS candidate for governor, though he'll have to work his way through a contentious CNS primary race that includes former gubernatorial nominee Mike Indano, businessman Dick Johnson, Assemblywoman Nancy Garblake, professional baseball manager Tommy Maddox, and realtor Terry Silvi.
Mendajara, a 44-year-old Hispanic politician from south Lansdale, is the most popular of the Conservative bunch, but also the most moderate, which may hurt him with CNS primary voters, who skew more to the right.
In his campaign announcement, Liffrey, 52, said he is focusing his campaign on affordability and kitchen table issues.
"The Conservative candidates in this race don't understand the affordability challenges POGers face. They don't know what it's like to go to the grocery store and have to check your bank account first. They don't know what it's like to choose between your utility bill and putting food in your refrigerator. POG needs a governor who understands the costs and strains people in this state face," said Liffrey in a video announcement, surrounded by his wife and teenage kids.
Liffrey's entry into the governor's race means the NAT will have yet another open seat to defend in the Senate this year. And it's unclear which NAT candidates will jump into the race.
Former Sen. Max Kiesling (N) has expressed interest, as have Assemblywomen Maria Adebos and Jill Yateri, and former Sen. Charlie Quince (N).
On the Conservative side, former senator Dick Trau announced his intention to seek the seat. College regent Mike Holloway, who has previously ran for the senate unsuccessfully, also announced his candidacy.
Holloway is the more right-wing of the two. Trau lost reelection in 2022 to Nationalist Jim Mahenas. Trau sought Diane Coke's seat in 2024 but lost in the primary race to Conservative professional baseball coach and businessman Tommy Maddox, who in turn lost to Coke.
Rather than seek the senate seat again this year, Maddox opted to run for governor.
Polls have shown a close race for governor, with several candidates from both parties struggling for name recognition with voters.
Whoever wins both parties' primaries will likely face a hard-fought general election race, as both parties are expected to pour millions of dollars into the high-stakes race in the nation's second-most-populous state.
Another uncertainty is outgoing Gov. Ramon Ramos (N), who may run for president in 2028, or could also seek Liffrey's vacant senate seat.
In a statement on his social media channels, Ramos praised Liffrey for "his pragmatic approach to legislating" and for "charting a middle-of-the-road path through the Senate, a path that works for all POGeans."
Liffrey's late entry into the race may hinder his candidacy, but he announced an aggressive fundraising tour in order to qualify for the first televised debate in the race, scheduled for May 17. Candidates must have raised $5 million or be polling at more than 10 percent with NAT primary voters.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment