Capitolwire.com reports this morning that David Sanko, the former chief of staff to Gov. Mark Schweiker, has decided not to run for auditor general this year, leaving former Lancaster County GOP Chairman Chet Beiler (left), a Manheim-area businessman, as the sole candidate seeking the party’s nomination to challenge Democrat Jack Wagner. The state GOP […]

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Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds Steve McDonald, who started raising money for his state Senate run in May 2007, is the first out of the gate with campaign finance numbers. The report provides the first look at fundraising efforts and spending in the race for retiring state Sen. Gibson E. Armstrong’s seat, a contest […]

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Interesting bit of local political history served up by Capitolwire.com’s Pete DeCoursey today. Most of you will remember the roles played in 2000 and 2001 by Scott Brubaker (left), then-chairman of Lancaster County’s Democratic committee, and Chet Beiler (right), then-chairman of the county’s Republican committee, in the kerfuffle called Votergate. Beiler was charged […]

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You take Sen. Gibson E. Armstrong’s suggestion in the Sunday News that, of the five Republican Senate candidates, he could support either Greg Sahd or Lloyd Smucker in the April 22 primary because they’re both good candidates. Combine it with Sahd’s Monday announcement that has decided not to pursue […]

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Everybody give a warm welcome to our newest blogger, New Era copy editor Joe Hainthaler. The guy volunteers to cover the county GOP convention on his own time, that’s how dedicated he is. He’s got the round-by-round results of the balloting in the 13th state Senate district race. Enjoy.

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Former county GOP Chairman Chet Beiler (left) is weighing another run for state auditor general, and is seen as a strong contender to challenge incumbent Democrat Jack Wagner in this year’s election, Republican officials say. “Chet has spoken with our chairman, Rob Gleason, and he has expressed an interest in running,” Michael Barley, a spokesman […]

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We’ve gotten a ton of calls since writing about those property-tax cuts you’ll see on your next school-tax bill, coming to a mailbox near you this summer. The bottom line is that homeowners who have applied for and received homestead exemptions will see reductions of between $37 and $252 — and likely far more — […]

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Washed up actor/late-night cable-TV gym equipment salesman on why he’s supporting Huckabee over McCain: “I didn’t pick John to support because I’m just afraid that the vice president would wind up taking over his job in that four-year presidency. We need to find someone that can handle it for four years or eight years … […]

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Somehow we missed the fact that state Sen. Mike Folmer (or “Citizen” Mike, as he’s called in his press releases), a freshman Republican who represents a small section of northern Lancaster County, has his staff clean the district offices to save on janitorial costs. He also refuses to send out constituent newsletters, seen as taxpayer-funded […]

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