While the state legislature of Pennsylvania decides whether or not to commit gross murder upon the body of the PA Supreme Court, rumor has it that Representative Ryan Costello (R-PA-6) will not be seeking re-election. From City&State Pennsylvania:
Sources have told City&State PA that Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello has decided not to seek reelection in Pennsylvania’s hotly contested Sixth Congressional District.
Despite filing petitions on Tuesday to run for another term, four Republican sources said Costello indicated at a recent meeting with state and local GOP officials that he intends to drop out of the race in the weeks before the May Primary. The sources all spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the meeting.
Costello reportedly met with state party chair Val DiGiorgio, former 6th District Congressman Jim Gerlach and several other top Republicans early Friday. According to sources, he indicated that he intended to seek a job in the private sector rather than face a costly reelection fight.
Not knowing much about Costello, I entertained the delusion that he couldn’t stomach the idea of impeaching judges just because they rendered an unfavorable verdict. But no:
Many observers say the new Sixth District, in the highly competitive Philadelphia suburbs, is even more favorable for Democratic candidates – last month, Costello called for the impeachment of the state Supreme Court Justices involved in that decision. A bruising Republican loss in this month’s PA-18 special election also sent shockwaves across the national GOP landscape and is generally seen as an ill omen for upcoming midterms across the country.
Which leaves me with two alternative explanations.
First, he just isn’t cut out to be a Representative. Quite possibly the direction the House of Representatives has taken doesn’t sit well with him.
Or, second, he doesn’t think the impeachment effort will be successful in preventing the new district map in Pennsylvania, drawn up by the PA Supreme Court, from taking effect for the upcoming midterms, and he doesn’t see a re-election effort as being successful in a district in which the Democrats have a stronger presence.
I wonder if this is a signal that, even among PA Republicans, the impeachment effort is stirring up some concerns about going too far, and Costello is reading the tea leaves and getting out while the getting is good. Certainly, this kind of maneuvering may stir up anti-Republican sentiments among the independents, and perhaps even deflate the Republican faithful.
