Fitzpatrick weighs campaign for state Legislature

By Scott Kraus

The Morning Call

January 21, 2008

For months, Bucks County political circles buzzed with speculation about whether former U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick would try to retake his U.S. House seat from Democrat Patrick Murphy.

That ended Tuesday when Republican and retired Marine Col. Tom Manion, whose son Travis was killed in action last year in Iraq, announced he would challenge Murphy for the seat.

Now it looks as if Fitzpatrick will run for the state House of Representatives -- against first-term Democrat Chris King in the 142nd Legislative District.

Top Bucks County Republicans said Friday they expect Fitzpatrick to run for the state House.

''I think he is,'' said GOP Chairman Harry Fawkes. ''He hasn't announced it yet, but I think he is going to announce early next week.''

Fawkes said Fitzpatrick, of Middletown Township, would make a formidable opponent for King, who is in his first term representing several Lower Bucks municipalities.

Bucks County Commissioner Charley Martin was far less equivocal.

''He's running,'' Martin said. ''Absolutely.''

Fitzpatrick could not be reached Friday afternoon for comment.

Instances of former congressmen running for the state Legislature are uncommon, party officials said.

Former 13th District Republican Congressman Jon Fox failed in his run against Democrat and political novice Josh Shapiro in 2004 in Montgomery County's 153rd Legislative District.

Another former 13th District congressman, Democrat Joseph Hoeffel, ran successfully for a non-federal post -- but that was for Montgomery County commissioner in 2007.

Republican political consultant Charlie Gerow said Fitzpatrick, who had earned a solid reputation with Bucks County voters by serving for a decade as a county commissioner, would have a strong chance of winning.

Fitzpatrick is popular and excels at the local level, door-to-door campaigning style that goes on in the small districts represented by House members, he said.

''Mike Fitzpatrick and Jon Fox are as different as day and night,'' Gerow said, believing Fitzpatrick's style and popularity would return him to public office.

King unseated longtime Republican state Rep. Matt Wright in 2006, his victory fueled by public anger over state lawmakers' late night vote in 2005 to give themselves pay raises.

Wright was one of the lawmakers who voted for the raises.

Gail Humphrey, King's chief of staff, said King was unavailable and that she could not comment on a potential Fitzpatrick candidacy.

''We're too busy serving our constituents to worry about potential candidates in the fall,'' Humphrey said.

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