The owner of a small manufacturing business is the super-underdog in the Democratic field, with little money or political profile to speak of. Campaign Site

A darling of the party’s conservative wing, Toomey eventually emerged as the GOP’s presumptive nominee after Arlen Specter’s defection to the Democrats. His mostly unopposed primary has allowed him to moderate his image while husbanding his resources, and the national political sentiment against the Democrats have him well positioned for November. Campaign Site

Pennsylvania’s longtime senator is in one of the toughest political fights of his career after his shocking switch to the Democratic Party last year. But he is a prolific fundraiser and capable of garnering support from Independents and Democrats. He’s in the midst of a brusing primary, with the expectation of facing Republican Pat Toomey in the fall. But no one likes to count him out. Campaign Site——Government Site

A former Navy admiral and two-term congressman in Delaware County, Sestak has been Arlen Specter’s fiercest critic since the senator switched parties last year. He has mostly stayed still in the polls since entering the primary against Specter, but has raised more than $5 million and is well-positioned to up his name recognition when he goes on the air with TV ads. Campaign Site——Government Site

One of the least well-known of the Senate candidates, Murphy will have to work hard just to get noticed. He originally planned to run in the Republican primary, but instead is planning an independent campaign, something make exceedingly difficult by Pennsylvania law.

A prominent conservative, pro-life activist, Luksik has a following among social-issue voters, and has surprised politicos in the past by garnering more support than expected. While few give her a chance to win against the better-funded and more seasoned Toomey, she could still garner a big chunk of the vote. Campaign Site

Despite only joining the field in early 2010, Williams has claimed a rapid fundraising pace. His father is the late Hardy Williams, a patriarch of black politics in Philadelphia. Williams can claim a base in the southeast and well-connected to the city’s political machine, but has a lot of catch up to play against candidates who have been in play much longer. Government Site

After winning two statewide elections for Auditor General, the former Pittsburgh state Senator has the experience of two statewide runs and much of the the support from local party organizations, but has his lagged in the fundraising race. As a Vietnam War veteran, he draws considerable support from military veterans. Campaign Site——Government Site

A longtime state lawmaker popular in conservative circles, Rohrer is trying to build an unconventional, grassroots campaign as he goes against a GOP candidate with far more money and the backing of party establishment. A steep uphill climb, his candidacy is also the most serious test so far of if a conservative can rally a movement against a party-backed candidate. Campaign Site——Government Site

Widely considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, party insiders have been talking about western Pennsylvanian like he’s the favorite since the moment Gov. Ed Rendell won a second term in 2006. With the big-name party fundraisers behind him, including seemingly the governor himself, Onorato is best positioned to break away from what polls have shown is a wide open field. Campaign Site——Government Site

PHILADELPHIA—The gay community here has a long memory. And despite a changing political landscape and a couple party-switches over the years, few gay and lesbian activists have forgotten the Arlen Specter of the 1960s and 1970s. They still see him as the assistant district attorney who clamped down on Philly cops for harassing and extorting gay men, and one of the first Pennsylvania politicians to publicly shake a gay man’s hand.

“In 1973,…

Only two Pennsylvania Democrats voted against health care reform legislation the first time around. And only one of those two still might change his mind for Round Two.

Congressmen Jason Altmire (D-4) and Tim Holden (D-17) both opposed a reform bill that passed the House late last year.

Altmire said on Fox News last weekend that he’s keeping an “open mind” for if and when the legislation comes back around for a second vote. But…

With the free Bonusgate publicity still flowing, Attorney General Tom Corbett continues to lead his potential Democratic rivals for governor, according to a new poll.

The Research 2000 survey released Friday showed Corbett, the likely GOP nominee, holding at least a six-point lead over each of the four Democratic candidates. But almost half of voters still don’t have an opinion of Corbett, in yet another sign that his lead in the polls may be more…

For the second time in 10 days, Arlen Specter can say he’s winning.

Specter holds a six-point lead over Republican Pat Toomey, 47 percent to 41 percent, according to a new Research 2000 poll. The survey, conducted for the liberal Web site Daily Kos, found only 11 percent of voters undecided in the general election matchup between Specter and Toomey.

Although the vast majority of polling from the last several months has shown Specter either…

PLYMOUTH MEETING—Congressional hopeful Manan Trivedi won the endorsement of Montgomery County Democrats Thursday night, capping a furious run in which Trivedi has gone from relatively late entrant into the race to the favorite of the party’s rank-and-file throughout the 6th District.

Trivedi, a Reading physician and Iraq War veteran, overwhelmingly beat out former Inquirer editorial writer Doug Pike for the endorsement, winning 77 votes to Pike’s 28. It was an even larger margin of victory…

LATROBE—Wealthy businessman Tim Burns easily won the Republican Party’s nomination for special election in the 12th Congressional District Thursday, setting up a May 18 showdown with Democrat Mark Critz.

Burns captured well over a majority of the votes from local party insiders at Saint Vincent College here, beating military veteran Bill Russell 85-46, according to preliminary vote tallies. Russell vowed to fight on in the primary to be held that same day. For Republicans, Burns’…

PLYMOUTH MEETING—Despite boisterous support from a contingent of Joe Sestak supporters, the Montgomery County Democratic Committee declined to endorse a candidate for Senate here Thursday.

The decision to forgo an endorsement means that sample ballots in the county will list the names of both Sestak and incumbent Senator Arlen Specter. Party insiders are now free to support either candidate in the May primary. It came after weeks of rumors that party leaders were jockeying to…

LATROBE—Even as his opponent vows to press on and challenge him in the May primary, Republican businessman Tim Burns says he’s not thinking much about Bill Russell now.

“I can’t be concerned with what Bill decides to do,” Burns told reporters here Thursday, shortly after winning the GOP nomination for the 12th District special election. “We are focused completely on this special election. From my campaign’s perspective, we are facing off against Mark…

PLYMOUTH MEETING—Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel scored an easy endorsement win from his local Democratic Party Thursday night, beating out gubernatorial rival Dan Onorato by a five-to-one margin on a standing voice vote.

Hoeffel, who is underfunded and whose campaign has seemed lag of late, was widely expected to win on his home turf. No formal roll call vote was required during the county party’s endorsement convention at the Colonial Elementary School here.

“We need…

LATROBE—Bill Choby, Luke Summerfield and Ron Robertson all came here Thursday night to seek the GOP’s nomination in the 12th District special election. They addressed party insiders, patiently took their questions, and left the podium to polite applause.

But none of the three was formally nominated for consideration in the endorsement vote, ending their candidacies as quickly as they had started.

Choby, a Johnstown dentist who ran against John Murtha multiple times, had been expected…