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Dahlkemper Fights English For House Seat

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Oct 22, 2008 6:30 pm US/Eastern

Dahlkemper Fights English For House Seat

Reporting
Jon Delano
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― While most of the attention is focused on the presidential election, every member of the U.S. House of Representatives is up for re-election.

And one congressman whose district stretches into the outskirts of Pittsburgh is facing a tough challenge from a political newcomer.

Her name is Kathy Dahlkemper, not exactly a household name in Pittsburgh.

But Dahlkemper is taking on 14-year veteran congressman Phil English and the political war has hit the Pittsburgh airwaves.

English is a Republican and Democrats are smelling blood.

Dahlkemper is a newcomer to politics but she could be the first Democratic woman elected to congress from Western Pennsylvania in a long time.

"A lot of people were surprised, including friends, when I decided to run," said Dahlkemper. "And I am the person who came out of nowhere but I've had a motto I've always tried to live by and that is to leave a place better than you found it. I am so concerned about the direction of our country."

Dahlkemper is taking on English in the third congressional district that stretches from Erie down into the outskirts of Pittsburgh in Butler and Armstrong Counties.

The race has attracted national attention and money including an attack ad against English sponsored by the National Democratic Party in Washington.

"I am a conservative Democrat," said Dahlkemper. "I'm conservative fiscally. I'm a small business owner."

Dahlkemper is also a pro-life and pro-gun democrat, too but she differs with English over trade bills.

"In terms of trade laws, he was one of the deciding votes," said Dahlkemper. "He was actually the deciding vote on CAFTA which has hurt our region -- the Central American Trade Act, and also NAFTA. He wasn't in Congress when that was enacted, but he said he would have supported that."

Dahlkemper says she opposes the war in Iraq that English voted for from the beginning.

"Not only is this having a huge personal toll on our country, but a financial toll," she said. "Truthfully, we can't afford to be in that war any more. $10 billion a month are being spent over there, and look at the financial problems we're having in this country. It's time to bring our troops home."

While she is from Erie, Dahlkemper says Pittsburgh will get to know her if she wins because her son lives here.

"I'm going to be a grandmother, and my grandchild is going to be born here in Pittsburgh next year," said Dahlkemper. "So I'll be here a lot."

As a newcomer, Dahlkemper has an up-hill battle against English.

The incumbent congressman has been noted for being a hard worker and most recently led the battle to stop the idea of turning Interstate 80 into a toll road.

But the district is a swing one and the Democrats point to some polls that put Dahlkemper slightly ahead of English.


(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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