Republican Jim Gerlach (PA-06) Not Running for Re-election in 2014 [View all]

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"The wave of House GOP retirements continued Monday, with Rep. Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania announcing that he will not seek reelection in 2014 — a decision that opens the door for Democrats to compete for the swing seat."

"It’s the third retirement in less than a month that has imperiled a Republican-held seat and one of several that will diminish the ranks of GOP moderates. In December, Republican Reps. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Tom Latham (R-Iowa) said they were vacating their spots. And in November, New Jersey Rep. Jon Runyan, another occupant of a competitive district, announced that he would step down after the end of the current term."

"Gerlach, a moderate House Republican who holds a seat on the Ways and Means Committee, was elected to the suburban Philadelphia-based 6th District in 2002."

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"Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney narrowly won Gerlach’s district in 2012, though then-Democratic hopeful Barack Obama won it on his way to the presidency in 2008. Gerlach’s departure means Republicans will be forced to defend a seat in the Philadelphia media market, where airing TV ads is costly."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/2014-election-jim-gerlach-not-running-101784.html#ixzz2peyreUfP