State Representative Mary Jo Daley (who represents Conshohocken, Whitemarsh and Plymouth and other communities) has announced she is ending her campaign to represent the 4th Congressional District in Congress.
She made the announcement via Facebook. It reads:
Dear Supporters,
Since I announced I was running for Congress, I have been humbled by the overwhelming support our campaign has received from people just like you. But in politics, I have learned that it’s important to stay true to the ideals and values that lead me here in the first place.
I have spent the bulk of my career encouraging and helping women of all walks of life enter politics. I co-founded and continue to co-chair Emerge Pennsylvania — recruiting, training, and helping women across the state run for office. If my legacy is a broad shift in the gender makeup of our elected leaders, then I have done my job.
After reviewing the state of the race and the current Democratic field of candidates, three women and one man, I realized that we would be facing a bitter and costly campaign that could very well lead to blowing a rare occasion to elect a strong, progressive woman from Pennsylvania to Congress.
We need our future congresswoman to be a daily foil to President Trump and the Republicans in Congress who threaten our nation’s values. We need a congresswoman who will be a leader across the district, and will serve as a beacon to all women who are thinking about running for office. And most importantly, we need a congresswoman who will be able to win.
I believe Madeleine Dean will be that Congresswoman and that is why I am endorsing her today.
Thank you for being there and believing in me.
—Mary Jo
Daley’s departure from the primary leaves Madeline Dean, a state representative who Daley now endorses in the Congressional race, Joe Hoeffel, a former county commissioner and representative in Congress, and Shira Goodman, a gun-control advocate.
Last week Dean challenged 1,199 of 2,019 nominating signatures submitted by Daley’s campaign. If validated, the challenge could have knocked Daley off the primary ballot.
In a press release, Dean accepted Daley’s endorsement. She stated:
I particularly want to express my gratitude to Mary Jo Daley. The toughest part of this campaign for me has been running against a friend like Mary Jo. She and I have fought on the same side of so many issues in Harrisburg. Representative Daley is a champion for women’s rights, and has been a leader on getting more women involved in politics, on reducing gun violence, and on standing up for working people. More than that, she is a thoughtful legislator and a good person — the kind of person we need more of in higher office. Her support means a lot to me personally, and it sends a real message to Democrats interested in sending a progressive champion for change to Washington. I look forward to working with her for years to come.
On the Republican side, Dan David and Marina Kats appear to be the only two candidates.
The primary election will be held on May 15th.