A Note on McClure's "Unwinnable" District

Bernie's up with a good piece on why Lamont McClure's county council district isn't lost yet to Democrats. He is right that Governor-elect Wolf did carry the seat, and he's right that Bethlehem Township is trending more and more blue. It's also true that turnout could be quite low in 2015, and certainly won't meet the levels that gave Wolf victory, and gave Congressman Cartwright a virtual draw. The district is not unwinnable though, and there's a few reasons why Democrats can have hope:

1. Democrats should find a good candidate. Two names thrown at me yesterday were former County Democratic Chairman Walt Garvin and former County Executive John Stoffa. I heard nothing from either of them, or anyone close enough to them to trust, but both could be strong candidates. That's on day one, so even if neither gets in, there's a good chance to get more people interested.
2. While Williams Township is often cited as why the district is no longer winnable, it may be exactly why it is won. If John Cusick can beat Marty Zaworski, or there is no primary, Cusick has had electoral problems in his home Williams. Democrats can take advantage of that. If the opponent is Zaworski, he has himself a record in Bethlehem Township to run against as well.

I'm not saying Democrats will win. I'm saying it's winnable. The party isn't particularly strong locally right now, but that doesn't mean the race can't be won. This race could still be in play.