By Tom Waring
Wire Staff Writer
Democratic voters in the 8th Congressional District will go to the polls on Tuesday to choose a nominee to face Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick in the fall.
The candidates are Kevin Strouse and Shaughnessy Naughton.
Strouse, of Middletown, is a former Army ranger, CIA counterterrorism analyst and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is program director of Teach2Serve, a nonprofit that teaches social entrepreneurship to local high school students.
Naughton, of Point Pleasant, is a scientist and small publishing company owner.
The district includes all of Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fitzpatrick, who is in his third term, is unopposed in the GOP primary.
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In the final week of the campaign, Naughton received endorsements from former Gov. Ed Rendell and the Philadelphia Gay News.
Rendell said in a statement, “The Democratic primary for Congress in the 8th District has two excellent candidates. However, I believe that Shaughnessy Naughton is the most qualified candidate and has the best chance to unseat Republican Mike Fitzpatrick in the fall.”
PGN’s editorial board said in a statement that, “The Philadelphia Gay News is proud to endorse Shaughnessy Naughton’s campaign for Congress. Shaughnessy is a strong ally, and a leader in standing up for Pennsylvania families, including the LGBT community. Shaughnessy will fight for civil equality, including marriage equality and protection from discrimination in the workplace. With Shaughnessy in Congress, LGBT families in the Eighth District will know that they have an advocate in Washington.”
“I have long been an advocate for LGBT rights, and I am proud to have the Philadelphia Gay News’ endorsement,” Naughton said.
Naughton also has the backing of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club, EMILY’s List, the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, Democratic Advancement PAC, the National Organization for Women, Women’s Campaign Fund, Progressive Kick PAC, Women Under Forty PAC and more than 60 local 8th District officials.
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Strouse and Naughton have continued to bicker over natural gas drilling.
“It’s one of the first questions I get at the doors,” Naughton said in an interview at her campaign office in Bristol.
Naughton, whose mom Jona joined the “Dump the Pump” protests in the 1980s, favors a permanent ban on fracking in the Delaware River basin.
“Putting 15 million people’s drinking water at risk is unacceptable,” she said.
Naughton’s campaign mailed voters 11 pieces of literature, including five on the fracking issue.
“It’s a passion of mine. It’s important to me to protect the Delaware River,” she said.
The issue, she said, comes down to putting potentially toxic chemicals into the ground.
“People know it’s not a good idea,” she said.
Both candidates have accused the other of accepting money from drilling interests.
Strouse has said he supports the moratorium on drilling in the Delaware River Basin, in addition to requiring the industry to comply with the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.
Both candidates support a state severance tax on drilling.
