Parties fighting for city suburbs

When it comes to congressional politics, Philadelphia is a solidly Democratic city. In the suburbs however, it's not so simple. The Democratic Party, facing the prospect of potentially losing a seat in Montgomery County, needs to gain six seats in the House of Representatives to re-establish its majority, which was taken away by the Republicans in 1994. In the only Democratic suburban district, the Republican contender is putting up a strong challenge against freshman Rep. Joseph Hoeffel. In the 13th District, which comprises Montgomery County, State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R) has been vigorously campaigning in this election and has matched Hoeffel's spending. According to Federal Election Commission data, Greenleaf's challenge has created one of the most expensive Congressional races in the state. "I think [we have] a great shot of picking up a Democratic seat," said Marit Babin, spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "This is definitely a battleground district." With most experts saying the race for the House is still too close to call, the NRCC -- the national Republican organization charged with providing funding to House candidates -- still claims to be confident that the Democrats won't pick up the seats they need to retake the chamber. "They're not taking back the House," Babin said. The city itself, however, is practically a sure bet for the Democrats. All three congressmen who represent Philadelphia -- the First, Second and Third U.S. Congressional Districts divide the city -- are Democrats. And all three are expected to win reelection on November 7. "None of [the races] are on our radar screen, so they're pretty solid," said John Del Cecato, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. One of the reasons that the DCCC is not worried about the Philadelphia area is that, in each race, the incumbent has outspent his opponent by large margins. According to FEC financial records, Rep. Robert Borski of the Third District has outspent Republican Charles Dougherty by a margin of six to one. In the First District, Rep. Robert Brady has outspent Steven Kush by a margin of 300 to one. Almost assured of a win on Election Day, the Democratic congressmen have spent time they would have otherwise devoted to their own races campaigning for other candidates. "We've seen a tremendous amount of support on the part of the candidates who want to help take back the house," Cecato said. Congressman Chakah Fattah, who represents the Second District -- which includes University City -- is effectively running unopposed in his race. "I think right now he's confident in his own re-election and he's focused on helping other candidates," said Rebecca Kirszner, Fattah's press secretary. Fattah has been working not only to get fellow Democrats elected to Congress, but to ensure a Democratic win in the national election as well. According to the latest poll results, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush are in a statistical dead heat. "One of the benefits of having such a close race is that it is so crucial for everyone to get out to vote," Kirszner said. "The Second Congressional District has historically had good turnout." The Republicans, too, have their guaranteed wins. To the west of Philadelphia is the Seventh Congressional District, which is represented by Republican Curt Weldon. He has outspent his opponent, Peter Lennon, by a margin greater than 200 to one. To the northeast of the city in Berks County, Republican James Greenwood of the Eighth District has outspent Ronald Strouse by a margin of 10 to one.