Ex-interns aid third-party bid

8/6/2010

The conventional wisdom is Tom Lingenfelter will pull votes from Republican Mike Fitzpatrick.

Two former interns for Congressman Patrick Murphy, now working for the state Democratic Party, have turned in nominating petitions to get a third-party candidate on the ballot.

The interns – Brian Caplan of Northampton and Jessica Milinichik of Bristol Township – submitted 148 signatures on the notarized papers for Tom Lingenfelter, a Doylestown historian.

The addition of Lingenfelter to the 8th District ballot is significant as his presence in a rematch between Murphy, a Democrat, and former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, a Republican, could tilt the outcome. Back in 2006, Murphy upset Fitzpatrick by a mere 1,518 votes.

In 2008, Lingenfelter accrued 5,543 votes, 1.6 percent of the total, in Murphy’s victory over Tom Manion.

The conventional wisdom is Lingenfelter will pull votes from Fitzpatrick.

Tim Persico, Murphy’s finance director, said the interns recently left the Murphy campaign.

“This wasn’t an operation of Patrick Murphy for Congress,” he said. “Patrick Murphy has better things to talk about. We weren’t involved in this.”

Asked if he knew Democrats were working to get him on the ballot, Lingenfelter said, “Maybe they’re switching camps. Jeez, I guess I better thank them, huh?”

On his Facebook page, Caplan describes himself as “very liberal.” In a July 19 story published in the Arcadia University student newspaper, Milinichik said she volunteers for Organizing for America, President Barack Obama’s grassroots organization.

The strategy to get Lingenfelter into the race appears to be more widespread than former Murphy campaign workers.

Peter Zustovich, the former campaign manager for Democratic State Representative hopeful Tina Davis, turned in 151 signatures for Lingenfelter. He had them notarized by Diane M. Caruso in Philadelphia, the same place Caplan and Milinichik had their petitions notarized.

The Democratic tactics are not limited to the 8th District.

The political website pa2010 has reported that volunteers for 7th District Democratic nominee Bryan Lentz helped get signatures for a third party candidate to tip a close race away from Republican Pat Meehan.

In a twist to the Lingenfelter story, attorney Jordan Yeager said he is close to filing a challenge to Lingenfelter’s petitions. While Yeager is a Democratic activist and state committeeperson, he would not identify his client or the person’s political affiliation.

“That’s my expectation,” Yeager said Thursday of filing a challenge. “In my business, until it happens it hasn’t happened. But that’s my expectation.”

Neil Samuels, deputy chairman of the Bucks County Democratic Committee, isn’t so sure Lingenfelter will hurt Fitzpatrick’s candidacy.

“Trying to predict the electorate is a fool’s errand,” he said. “If we’re going to have a close election, every vote matters. Determining what vote’s going to go Tom’s way is not easy to figure out.”

There nearly would have been a fourth candidate in the race, but Eric Wisener, a Libertarian, decided he couldn’t get the financial support to run.

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