Winner!

Judy Schwank (D)  58%

Larry Madaglia (R) 42%

That was the result in the 11th Pennsylvania Senate District race yesterday to replace Sen. O’Pake, who died earlier this year.  Ms. Schwank had enough money, almost all of it from small donors, to run a credible campaign.  Mr. Madaglia was opposed to a severance tax on natural gas and pledged no new taxes, supporting the Corbett budget cuts.  That stuff isn’t working anymore.  

Two items made this victory personally sweet.  First, I participated in a Schwank campaign Get-Out-the-Vote phone bank located in Lehighton.  The phone bank was put together by the DNC’s Organizing for America.  I called two people whose votes were a direct result of my phone calls.  One of my fellow callers in Lehighton was actually able to arrange a ride to the polls for a voter in residing in Reading.  That is real coordination.

Secondly, Ms. Schwank understands farming.  She was a leader in Berks County in preserving farmland, and she was the person responsible for Pennsylvania’s master gardener program.  Unfortunately, if the Corbett-proposed cuts in the Penn State extension service are approved, programs like that may come to an end.  Nevertheless, I’m not worrying about that today.  I’m celebrating.