The two candidates in Pennsylvania' democratic gubernatorial primaries will be finding out their fates in just about a week and a half.
Voters will decide which candidate -- former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell or the state's Auditor General Bob Casey Jr. -- is better suited to go up against the only Republican candidate for governor, Mike Fisher.
In the few days before the May 21 election, Penn alumnus Rendell and his team are relaxing their campaign, anxious for the coming vote.
"What we're working on now is getting up the voter turn-out," Rendell spokesman Dan Fee said.
Fee claims that in a recent poll, Rendell was ahead of Casey by "double-digit percentages."
"Rendell has the best experience for the job," Fee said. "We've gotten the support, now we just need the voters. We're focusing on the 21st" of May.
While the heated primary will still take place in just over a week, it was believed in April that the primary would possibly be moved to July 16 due to Pennsylvania redistricting.
According to the state constitution, voter redistricting should occur every 10 years, which fell this year in Pennsylvania.
However, while the state congress approved delaying the primary for redistricting, the state Supreme Court dismissed the new districting, and simply required it for the next election, as the high court felt the decision was too hastily made to affect the 2002 election.
Now that the primary date is a definitely May 21, the Rendell campaign will work on increasing the voter turnout with "regular grassroot politics," Fee said. Rendell proponents will encourage voting through voter contacts, including phone calls, television commercials and state resident activists.
While Casey will be working on voter turnout as well, he and his supporters will also enforce the basic tenets of his campaign.
"He'll be focusing on three main issues," Casey spokeswoman Karen Walsh said.
"He'll be discussing expanding health insurance to people that don't have it, as well as reducing property taxes for home owners as well as renters.
"And we'd especially like to invest in high tech jobs in the state, in order to keep the young people here," Walker added.
Casey received the official endorsement of the state Democratic Party in January, and the Casey campaign is looking forward to the primary, in which they feel confident that Casey will win.
"When it comes to voting, the fundamental issue is who they trust the most... the person that will forward and support their ideas and beliefs," Walsh added. "Casey is definitely the candidate that Pennsylvanians can trust the most."
Despite the lack of formal party endorsement, the Rendell campaign remains optimistic, and has received a few key endorsements of its own -- those of Philadelphia Mayor John Street and District Attorney Lynne Abraham.
"Bob Casey has not convinced Pennsylvanian voters to vote for him," Fee said. "He's simply running a smear campaign against Rendell.
"Rendell is the best candidate for the position," Fee maintained.
