Politics & Government

So Many Voters, So Little Time

157th District candidates Drucker and Kampf vie for election day votes in Paoli.

There’s no shortage of polling places in the 157th District, but Warren Kampf and Paul Drucker—competing candidates in one of the state’s true tossup races—wound up at the same one this morning.

When the polls opened at Delaware Valley Friend’s School in Paoli and the first round of voters trickled in, the incumbent Republican Kampf and Democratic challenger Drucker stood across the entrance from each other, vying to make a good final impression.

“I think it’s been excellent, we’ve knocked on almost 10,000 doors, made a ton of phone contacts, and I feel really good about today,” said Kampf, assessing his campaign between handshakes and introductions to voters.

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“I think people are definitely focused on pocket book issues,” he went on, when asked to pinpoint the salient issues in the race between he and Drucker, who he defeated by under a thousand votes in 2010. “I think they’re concerned about the economy. I think education is a concern to them, and a whole host of others, but I’d say those are the top three.”

Drucker, just ten feet away, saw things differently.

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“I’d like to think it's about education, taxes, Marcellus Shale, energy, and paybacks to oil companies, but it’s hard to say,” he said, putting his own finger to the pulse of the 157th District.

Despite their policy disagreements, when asked to handicap what’s certain to be one of Pennsylvania’s closest races, the candidates responded identically.

“I like my chances.”


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