Frank X. Custer

HARPER HIDES BEHIND VOMITING PUMPKINS AND FUNNY COSTUMES 

Upper Gwynedd, PA (October 24, 2008) – Frank X. Custer, the Democratic candidate for the 61^st state legislative district seat, today charged State Rep. Kate Harper with hiding her record behind mail pieces that highlight vomiting pumpkins and ridiculous costumes.

      “It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic,” Custer said.  “I really don’t know why Ms. Harper is resorting to this type of campaigning for a job she apparently doesn’t even want.  Usually, it is the challenger that resorts to over-the-top mail and advertising, but in this case Ms. Harper is reacting poorly to the first real challenge she has ever had.”

      Custer has criticized Harper for holding four taxpayer-funded jobs at the same time and for skipping close to 50 important votes in Harrisburg to tend to her three municipal attorney positions.  In addition, Custer has tried to draw a contrast between Harper’s extremely conservative and anti-reform record (anti-choice, against funding stem cell research, embracing Bush economic policies, opposing plans to cover uninsured Pennsylvanians, voting for the midnight pay raise and opposing reform efforts) and his more progressive platform.

      Harper has denied none of Custer’s charges, and openly admitted that she missed votes on multiple evenings to earn additional paychecks for her legal work.  Her response has been a direct mail and television campaign attacking Custer’s character and lying about his commitment to open space.  The mail has been punctuated with pictures of pumpkins being sick and a lame attempt at dressing Custer in a jester outfit through computer graphics.

      “Our mailings have been straight forward, factual, and admittedly tough,” Custer said, “but Ms. Harper’s response has been juvenile and, frankly, untrue.” 

      Custer provided a list of Harper’s charges and his response:

• Custer has minimal work experience.  “Actually, I have a 35 year career (20 in the private sector and 15 in the public sector) ranging from 12 years as a vice president of an advertising and public relations agency to heading up the largest tourism publicity office in the world to serving as press secretary and senior advisor to a respected congressman to running my own small business to serving our country in the armed forces for four years.”
• Custer has held no elected office and was rejected by voters.  “If my biggest flaw is losing an election (for county commissioner in 2003), I’ll allow that on my tombstone.  Ms. Harper, I will point out, ran for county commissioner last year and was rejected by her own party in the endorsement process.”
• Custer has held a series of political jobs.  “I have been honored to serve in government four times (twice for Republican administrations), and each time I was sought out by the people who hired me.  I did not seek the positions.  I have held four government jobs in 35 years.  Ms. Harper is holding four taxpayer-funded positions right now.”
• Custer works for a developer, so he doesn’t care about open space.  “The only development project our firm has promoted is the redevelopment of Logan Square shopping center in Norristown into a movie studio and commercial center.  Redeveloping distressed properties saves open space.  Our firm also helped promote an open space referendum in another Montgomery County municipality, which passed with over 70 percent of the vote.  The rest of our clients are educational entities or non-profit organizations that do such things as provide health care to uninsured and underinsured; run homeless shelters and shelters for battered women; and senior centers.”

   “I find it puzzling why Ms. Harper is fighting so hard to hang on to a seat that she apparently doesn’t want,” Custer said.

      In 2006, just weeks after winning a third term in the House and before she was sworn-in for that term, Harper announced her candidacy for county commissioner and explained at length why she preferred that position.  She ultimately was rejected by the Republican committee during the endorsement process.

      Recently Harper admitted in a newspaper interview that she is interested in becoming a Montgomery County judge.  There are expected to be seven open seats on the Montgomery County bench next year.

      “Ms. Harper misses votes, runs for other offices and wants to be a judge,” Custer said.  “That doesn’t sound like someone who really wants to represent the 61^st district.  I do, and I will do it enthusiastically and full time.”