The Race to Represent Conshohocken, West Conshohocken, Plymouth and Whitemarsh in Congress

In the recent past, the 19428 zip code was represented by three different representatives in Congress. Through redistricting, Conshohocken, West Conshohocken, Plymouth and Whitemarsh are all now represented by the same person. The district is made-up of communities in Montgomery County and a section of Northeast Philadelphia.

On May 20th, there is a primary election to determine who will represent the Republican and Democratic Parties in the general election in November. The Republican primary has been completely overshadowed by the race taking place in the Democratic Party due to the names involved and make up of the district.

On the Republican side the choice is between Dee Adcock, who ran before and lost, who touts his business experience, and Bev Plosa-Bowser, a 30+ year veteran, who stresses being a mother of five and her military service. Neither candidate has raised significant money and it doesn’t appear that the state or national party is paying attention to this race. Adcock was endorsed by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Whoever wins has an uphill battle in the general.

On the Democratic Party side, the race is dominated by three different factors. First you have the city vs. the suburbs. Brendan Boyle, currently a State Representative, is backed by the city’s Democratic Party boss Bob Brady. That makes him the city candidate. Marjorie Magolies, who held this seat for one term during the Clinton administration, has the backing of the the Democratic Party boss in Montgomery County, Marcel Groen, and Josh Shapiro, the head of the County Commissioners. So basically you have the establishment candidate from the city vs. the establishment candidate from the suburbs.

The other factor in the race is the party establishment vs. the more eccentric candidate in the race, Daylin Leach. Daylin Leach is currently a State Senator representing Conshohocken, West Conshohocken and other nearby towns. A lot of elected and other prominent Democrats in Conshohocken have endorsed Leach. This could be because they just know him better, but it could also be to poke Groen, who as an attorney represented the developer of the proposed Wawa. Groen wasn’t able to deliver the votes of Conshohocken’s elected and appointed Democrats for the deal. Don’t think that is forgotten. The schism between the local Democrats and those on the county level is real according a local elected official. Supporting Leach could just be another effort of local Democrats to exercise their independence from the party boss.

Then there is the factor of the old vs. new. Magolies, Leach and Boyle are are well known figures in the Democratic Party. Candidate Val Arkoosh, a medical doctor, is running for office for the first time. She has positioned herself as the candidate for those seeking a fresh face. Arkoosh, along with Leach, have been able to raise a lot of money, and she received the endorsement of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

So that is our wrap-up. Polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. You can view sample ballots by clicking here and if you do not know where to vote, click here.