Wayne County DA Race: RINO Watch

I had posted in the Lounge a thread seeking information on Republican Candidate for District Attorney, Kathy Martin. She had recent experience with the Philadelphia DA's office under Seth Williams. I thought it odd at the time that a Republican would have been hired for any position in that office. Not impossible but unusual. Could not find a thing. Her pedigree is urban, Temple, Villanova and most of her career in Philly. Now all of a sudden she shows up in Wayne County, hired on to the DA's staff by Democrat Pat Robinson.

Well another Republican has entered the ring, A.G. Howell. He claims to be pretty much a lifelong Wayne County Republican. According to his research, Kathy Martin only switched party affiliations to Republican in 2017. Before that she was a solid registered Democrat. There is more. She is advertising heavily and someone has real money behind her.

I can only report what I have read, and have not verified any of it independently yet. I have read enough to warn others from Wayne County here to proceed with caution. DA positions are almost always stepping stones to higher political office.

Been seeing her ad In "Our Town" (very right of center local publication, BTW) for a while.

I need to do some research...I was of the assumption that this publication would weed out advertisers over income potential. Perhaps they did, perhaps they didn't. Either way, thanks for the heads up. Due diligence time.

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Originally Posted by Roadking

Been seeing her ad In "Our Town" (very right of center local publication, BTW) for a while.

I need to do some research...I was of the assumption that this publication would weed out advertisers over income potential. Perhaps they did, perhaps they didn't. Either way, thanks for the heads up. Due diligence time.

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Dem strategy? Pat Robinson is running as a Democrat. He stealth hires a newly minted RINO. The RINO and Republican Howell Split the vote and Robinson wins? Fallback, Martin wins, her Democrat bona fides come to the fore, Robinson gets to keep his job under her regime. Win-win. If I were a Democrat, that is how I might play it. Martin campaign literature says "Pro Second Amendment", but not how exactly. She does not list any open forums for someone to ask her. I suspect pro-2A by way of "Common Sense" gun laws. But I am speculating on that and I admit it. It all seems odd. Her political body language in her announcement video communicates an urban elitist heart, soul and mind.

Met the candidate this evening and chatted for about 15 or 20 minutes. A lot of my worst concerns were addressed. As to Second Amendment issues, she seemed solid. Her basic position was that more gun controls do not change anything. Criminals do not obey the laws, the steal guns, they buy them illegally. She had real serious issues with the constitutionality of red flag laws. Would she enforce them? I do not know and she really could not say because it would involve unhelpful speculation. She has a strong interest in prosecuting criminals who lie on their 4473, straw purchases etc. Her explanation for her past Democrat party affiliation was sensible, but some are not going to find it palatable. It was one of those things you had to do to work in a Democrat machine. I get it. In my line of work, I had to contribute to Democrat campaigns at times. So, I will not cast that first stone. She held that job in the DA's office in Philly but her home and family were here all that time. So again, doing a long distance commute for work, is something I had to do most of my life. My concerns about the worst kind of "transplant" have abated.

She is still gathering signatures to get on the ballot. I signed. That is not a commitment to vote, but I heard enough to see her on the ballot and then observe how a primary contest brings out the issues.

Thank you for the assessment and taking the time to get deeper into the info.

Someone is spending lots of money on Kathy Martin or there’s a very smart person running her campaign. Flyers, TV ads, lawn signs, billboards and I would say she has the DAs office in her pocket.

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Originally Posted by Qtrborecrazy

Someone is spending lots of money on Kathy Martin or there’s a very smart person running her campaign. Flyers, TV ads, lawn signs, billboards and I would say she has the DAs office in her pocket.

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Been seeing the same thing. This AG Howell has been upping it too. He was a former Public Defender. Have to admit, I am a little put off by that. Generally, those lawyers only do that work because they tend to have an anti-law enforcement bias. I think of Krasner in Philly. He is cut from the same cloth.

Martin has a campaign manager out of Scranton, so she has a pro. Would like to know where all the $ is coming from too. That usually tells the story.

Here are some websites to look at. Kathy Martin has never been very forthcoming about her political relationship with convicted former Philly Prosecutor Seth Williams. Perhaps information produced by her opponent sheds light on the reason for it.

I find the Seth Williams stuff disturbing. Her husband, Robert Levant is a successful litigator, from what I have read, a Democrat (was claimed to have been part of Seth Williams defense team -- while his wife Kathy was the interim DA). Maybe Levant is bankrolling her or other Democrats. She is spending a ton of money.

FOAC gives "No" recommendations to both Republicans. It gives a "Yes" recommendation to Democrat Pat Robinson, a career Wayne County prosecutor, with many years of real experience. Despite their claims, both Republicans are relative lightweights when it comes to actual trial experience. Most of Martin's high profile jobs have been administrative in nature.

Between the Seth Williams stuff, Levant's affiliations, her conversion to the GOP in 2017 after being a life long Democrat, and the amount of money behind her, that is a lot of red flags. There is a tad too much Social Justice Warrior in the background for my liking. I am leaning toward Howell in the primary.


http://www.therealkathymartin.com/
https://www.agforda.com/the-facts-ab...-kathy-martin/

https://foac-pac.org/voters_guide/gu...oter-Guide.pdf

https://kathymartinforda.com/meet-kathy/

I’m leaning Howell also, someone wants Martin in the DA spot real bad.

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Originally Posted by Qtrborecrazy

I’m leaning Howell also, someone wants Martin in the DA spot real bad.

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Based on unofficial results, it looks like Howell defeated Martin.

waynecountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1599/2019-Primary-Election-Results