Bill Hall to Challenge Sam Bennett for Democratic Congressional Nod in LV

Most Democrats I speak with are upset at the notion of party bosses deciding primary candidates. It's undemocratic. Yet that's precisely what happens here in the Lehigh Valley. The best example of that is congressional candidate Sam Bennett.

In early February, Northampton County party boss Joe Long was already calling around on her behalf, trying to "clear the field" for a congressional challenge to incumbent Charlie Dent. At the time, LVDem noted, "I have a problem with a county chair making calls to other potential candidates in the hopes of keeping those other candidates out of the primary. It's a primary!"

Bennett has been tagged with two failed mayoral campaigns, a drunken concession speech (preserved on videotape), a lackluster performance at Mayfair, a botched financial disclosure, an excessive salary at her nonprofit, and the embarrassment of losing a $10,000 grant from Lehigh County. Yet party bosses insist on shoving her down our throats. Lehigh County Dem chair Rich Daugherty claims she"articulates issues well." But Bennett goes and proves him wrong by stating, in a video interview, that she's inside the beltway to talk to "special interests."

Upper Mount Bethel Township resident Bill Hall believes the people, and not party bosses, should decide party nominees. He has requested the necessary paperwork from the FEC, and will announce his challenge within the next week.

Hall's political career

Part of the anti-incumbency movement that rose in angry reaction to a midnight legislative payraise in 2005, Bill is one of four Democrats who challenged Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll in 2006. Although a relative unknown among five candidates, Bill still captured 12.41% of the vote, spending only $981 in the process. He actually won in Northampton County.

After doing so well in a statewide race, Bill decided to seek a seat on Northampton County Council this past spring. But that's when he experienced the local Democratic machine. You see, Bossman Joe Long had someone else in mind. Long lectured Hall for 1 1/2 hours that the party had already picked its candidate, and tried to talk him out of running. During this eye-opening session, Long also spent at least fifteen minutes bashing Democratic county exec John Stoffa. Long complained he got Stoffa elected, but that Stoffa was refusing to follow party machine orders.

Over Long's objection, Hall decided to run anyway. He tells me, "The politicians are supposed to serve the people, and the people should be the ones who elect them."

But that's not the way things happen in the People's Republic of Northampton County. At a local party meeting in late March, a handful of just twenty Democratic committeemen, mostly from Bethlehem, endorsed Hall's opponent. They did so over the objections of one of Northampton County's most popular elected officials - state rep. Rich Grucela. After that, Hall was snubbed nearly everywhere he went. At a labor council banquet, Long just ignored him.

Hall lost the primary election 2 to 1.

And now he sees it again. A few are making the decisions for the many. We fought a revolutionary war over that. And that's why Hall is running.

Some biographical information

Bill graduated from Paul Smith College in 1970 with a degree in Applied Science. After graduation, he worked as a journeyman carpenter on numerous commercial construction projects. In 1982, he founded Bayside Builders in Naples, FL. He supervised 100 million dollars in construction projects. He moved to Pennsylvania in 1997, working as a construction supervisor and contractor.

On the personal side, Bill is 57 years old. He and his wife, Marion, have a blended family of six children. He has a keen interest in nature and fully supports the preservation of our environment. His hobbies include hiking, fishing and reading United States History and the biographies of our Presidents. His favorite President is Theodore Roosevelt.

Bill considers himself an average American who has built his career through hard work, intelligence and honesty, as millions of other Americans have done.

Bill's goal in entering politics is to represent the people, not the party machine. He believes we need thorough and honest reform in our government institutions. He feels that integrity, independence and courage should be the qualifications of a candidate; and that party methods should be something more than a means used to reward recruited candidates.

Most importantly, he's not Sam Bennett.

Bennett's Reaction

Whatever she may tell the press, Bennett is spitting nails. From what I'm told, she tongue-lashed and then hung up on another blogger who broke the bad news.