Lou Seeking a Congressional Seat

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta made official what has been rumored for months.
He’s running for Congress.

By L.A. TARONE   

Calling himself “a new voice and a new direction,” Barletta announced Thursday he was seeking the 11th Congressional District seat, held by 12-term Democrat Paul Kanjorski.
He made the announcement in front of a horde of supporters and reporters Thursday afternoon in the Markle Building on the corner of Broad and Wyoming streets downtown, in a space a sandwich shop occupied until last year.
“A few days ago, a syndicated columnist wrote, ‘We don’t need another politician in Washington, we need a leader.’ I AM that leader,” Barletta said. “This is not Democrats versus Republicans. This is not blue versus red, this is not about the right versus the left. This is about right versus wrong.”
Barletta was introduced by one of his daughters, Grace, who said he had “the courage to stand up for what he believes.”
He dashed to the podium as the Kingman’s version of “Louie Louie” blared from speakers.
“For over eight years, I have had the distinct honor and privilege of being the mayor of Hazleton,” Barletta said, terming it a “dream job.” He called himself “a strong believer in effective, efficient and responsible government.”
But he said the job changed two years ago, referring to the murder of Derek Kichline. Barletta has said in the past the slaying was the impetus for his introduction of the Illegal Immigration Relief Act.
“My small city had become a victim of a national problem,” he said. “I was losing control of my city. Hazleton faced a series of serious crimes committed by illegal aliens. Enough was enough.
“Public programs like education and health care buckle under increasing financial strain,” Barletta said of illegal immigration. “American workers cannot find sustaining jobs. National security is jeopardized. And the United States taxpayer pays for all of it.”
He discussed Carly Snyder, a 20-year-old who was murdered in the kitchen of her Milton home in 2005. Barletta said an illegal immigrant from Honduras was arrested for the killing.
“And believe it or not, he was actually caught by border patrol and released,” Barletta said. “He never showed up for his court date and he was ordered to be deported. That was four years before he killed Carly.”
During his address, Barletta talked at length about the Illegal Immigration Relief Act.
“There was no blueprint for what we were doing; there was no manual,” Barletta said. “Others around the country would soon follow, but Hazleton led the way.”
Barletta said those who challenged the law – he mentioned the American Civil Liberties Union “and other liberal groups” – “misrepresented our law.”
“They told us they were going to bankrupt us, and told us to quit,” he said, his voice rising. “But we didn’t. Even after a federal judge disregarded both the letter and the spirit of existing federal law, we vowed to keep fighting. That’s called taking a stand.”
He referred to Kanjorski but did not mention him by name.
“My opponent in this race is not my enemy, but he represents what Congress has become,” he said. “If we keep electing the same people we will keep getting the same results. We can’t change Washington unless we change the people we send there.”
Barletta said his choice between Congress and mayor, just three months after being elected to his third term, “has not been an easy decision,” adding his time leading Hazleton has been “the greatest privilege of my life.”
After he finished his address, Barletta was asked about former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the lone serious GOP presidential contender with an immigration policy similar to his, suspending his campaign Thursday – leaving Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, both with more liberal immigration policies, in the race.
“That’s even more of a reason to elect me,” Barletta said. “I’ll camp out at the White House until they hear our message.”
Barletta’s announcement sets up a rematch of the 2002 congressional race. There was a third candidate in that race as well – Tom McLaughlin of the Reform Party. Kanjorski won by a healthy margin, with Barletta getting 43 percent of the vote. However, Barletta’s vote total was the highest any Kanjorski challenger has ever received.
He won Monroe County, which has a Republican registration advantage, by more than 1,500 votes, and lost Columbia County by a razor-thin margin of about 450 votes.
While Luzerne County has about a 2-to-1 Democrat registration lead, Barletta made a race out of it, losing by about 6,500 votes out of 67,000 votes cast.
However, Kanjorski won heavily Democrat Lackawanna County by a margin of more than 2 to 1; just fewer than 26,000 votes to just more than 12,400.
Since then, Barletta’s profile has risen – both regionally and nationally. Although shot down in federal court, his Illegal Immigration Relief Act, adopted by city council in the summer of 2006, has been copied by numerous other municipalities and a handful of states nationwide.