Russ Diamond and PA Clean Sweep, working election magic again

PACleanSweep to Announce Intentions on Retentions

PACleanSweep, a non-partisan organization aimed at reforming state government in Pennsylvania, will hold a news conference Thursday, September 13 in the Capitol rotunda in Harrisburg to announce its intentions regarding November's judicial retention elections.

PACleanSweep was instrumental in the ouster of Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro in 2005, marking the first time a member of the Commonwealth's highest court was not retained by voters. The organization followed that effort by recruiting or aligning with over 110 candidates for legislative seats, accounting for over one-third of all challengers in the 2006 primary election.

35 PACleanSweep candidates won their primary races, seven of whom defeated the sitting incumbent head-to-head. Eleven PACleanSweep candidates eventually won legislative seats in the 2006 general election, accounting for 20 percent of the total 55-seat turnover in the General Assembly during that historic election year.

The group's efforts for the 2007 judicial retention elections will be based on the results of an informal survey offered to visitors to the PACleanSweep.com website and its 5500 email list subscribers.

The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the public is invited to attend.