On the eve of today's primary, high-profile figures like Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann and U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts made speeches for Mike Brubaker, who is locked in a tough and expensive fight against Heidi Wheaton for state Senate.

Other candidates spent Monday phoning undecided voters and supporters, encouraging them to go to the polls, which open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

"It's all over but the shouting," said state Rep. Katie True, an East Hempfield Township Republican who faces a challenge from Jim McDonald of Manor Township.

Few contests appear certain as seven Lancaster County races -- two for state Senate and five for state House of Representatives -- could send a jolt into the established Republican leadership here and in Harrisburg.

"Anything can happen," said G. Terry Madonna director of Franklin & Marshall College's Center for Politics & Public Policy. "It's real nail-biting. We haven't had this kind of uncertainty in these kinds of races in decades."

The results of these and dozens of other statewide races for the General Assembly will show how deep public angst is over a controversial and now repealed legislative pay raise in 2005.

The races also could turn on reaction from voters over the lack of school property-tax reform, the level of dissatisfaction with incumbents -- especially those involved in the pay raise -- and whether constituents think experienced lawmakers or the crop of newcomers reaching for state office for the first time better suits the public's mood.

"The pay raise got things started and mobilized candidates, mobilized voters and scared a lot of incumbents," said Fletcher McClellan, chair of Elizabethtown College's political science department.

The amount of campaign money spent in this primary -- particularly in the 36th Senatorial District race between Brubaker and Wheaton -- is indicative of how coveted state office positions are.

As of last week, Brubaker, an ag consultant, and Wheaton, an East Hempfield Township supervisor, collectively had spent about $400,000.

On a Rapho Township farm Monday, Swann and Pitts stumped for Brubaker.

"He will listen to you," Swann said. "He will digest the information and make the best decisions for Pennsylvania."

Wheaton spent Monday phoning voters, shaking hands and organizing volunteers for tomorrow.

"I've been called to do this," Wheaton said. "I put my faith in God, who gave me the call, and I'll be successful."

Heading into today, many races have seen increased intensity marked by negative television commercials and verbal salvos fired among the candidates.

One such tense contest is the race pitting state Senate Majority Leader David "Chip" Brightbill against challenger Mike Folmer in the 48th Senatorial District, which includes a portion of northwest Lancaster County.

Brightbill's campaign has rolled out television advertisements questioning Folmer's financial troubles involving a woman in 1998. It countered an ad by Pennsylvania Club for Growth, a pro-Folmer outfit, that called Brightbill a liberal.

"These are some of the toughest ads I've seen" for a state primary, Madonna said. "They're brutal."

McClellan said such issues like last year's legislative pay raise and failure to enact property tax reform forced incumbents to work harder on the campaign trail than in years past.

Brightbill, seeking his seventh term, has debated Folmer several times, run expensive television commercials and spent more than half a million dollars, McClellan said. Incumbents normally don't take such measures.

"You would have thought he was the challenger and Folmer is the incumbent," McClellan said.

While some candidates expressed confidence, many others declined to predict victory.

"It's too close to call," said Henry Federowicz, a Republican challenging state Rep. Tom Creighton in the 37th Legislative District. "It's a tossup."

Dave Pidgeon's e-mail address is dpidgeon@lnpnews.com. blog comments powered by Disqus