Hazleton Pennsylvania mayor Lou Barletta recently announced he will be making a third attempt to unseat Democrat Paul Kanjorski for a seat representing Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional district.
Barletta, who failed to defeat Kanjorski in 2002 and 2008, first gained national prominence as a leader in the fight against illegal immigration.
Hazleton’s Illegal Immigration Relief Act was an ordinance introduced as a means of denying a business permit to firms that employed illegal aliens, and to fine landlords who rented to illegals.
In 2007, the IIRA was ruled unconstitutional by Judge James Munley, a Clinton-era appointee, and as of this writing the case is still working it’s way through the federal court system.
Barletta will face opposition in the republican primaries, but it is my opinion that he will win the Republican nomination to oppose Kanjorski.
This will prove to be a very interesting race, as Kanjorski will not have the benefit of “Obamamania” that many feel was a deciding factor in his narrowly defeating Barletta in 2008.
Watch the video to see Barletta’s thoughts on the 2008 race, as well as his announcement for 2010, along with the URL of his official campaign website:
Tags: 2010 House Races Pennsylvania, Lou Barletta, Paul Kanjorski, Pennsylvania 11th Congressional District, Pennsylvania Congressional Races