Tom Ridge Won’t Run Against Pat Toomey in PA Republican Primary for GOP Nomination

Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has decided not to run against PA GOP candidate Pat Toomey and seek the vacated Arlen Specter Senate seat. A rather interesting turn of events as reported by Michelle Malkin as the favorite of socially liberal establishment Republicans Tom Ridge will not seek the GOP nomination against Conservative Toomey.

Statement from Tom Ridge from PA2010:

“To those who believe that the Republican Party is facing challenges, they are right,” Ridge said. “To those who believe the Democratic Party is without its own difficulties, they are wrong. No one party has a monopoly on all of the answers. The more important view, in my mind, is that we remember, whether Republican or Democrat, we are foremost Americans. And as Americans, we have always overcome challenges when we put partisanship aside and solutions first.”

With Ridge out of the Senate race, it leaves Pat Toomey, a Lehigh Valley businessman, and Peg Luksik, a conservative activist from Johnstown, vying for the GOP nomination next year. Will it ultimately be a Toomay-Specter race for the PA Senate seat? Specter left the GOP for his political survival as he was trailing Toomay badly in the polls.

Ridge’s decision not to run leaves Toomey, a Lehigh Valley businessman, and Peg Luksik, a conservative activist from Johnstown, vying for the nomination next year. Toomey’s popularity among GOP primary voters helped prompt Specter to switch his party affiliation last week.

Ridge called for civility in next year’s race, and pledged to “help my party craft solutions that both sides of the aisle can embrace.”