There are rumors spreading that Jay Paterno may be running for congress in the fifth district.
According to a published report, there are indications that Paterno may run against Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson next year. According to Centre County Democratic Committee Chair Greg Stewart, Paterno has not made any solid indication to the party he is running.
Paterno did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Although there is no concrete indication that Jay Paterno will run it appears the idea appeals to many democrats.
“There are people in Democratic circle who are always looking for high quality candidates and there are people who would love to see him run,” Stewart says. “People have been encouraging him to run.”
Those who are encouraging Paterno to run include Pennsylvania State Treasurer Rob McCord, who at a Centre County Democratic Dinner earlier this month urged Paterno to run in front of all the dinner’s attendees, Stewart says.
Stewart says he has talked casually with Paterno about the possibility of running, but nothing is certain. Stewart did say that Paterno would be an ideal candidate.
“He’s a smart guy, he’s very intelligent, very passionate about public service and a good public speaker,” Stewart says. “Those are all qualities you want in a candidate.”
Stewart says Paterno still has plenty of time to declare he is running, as candidates would typically start circulating petitions in February. Stewart also says people tend to think Paterno will run for public office because he attends party dinners.
“He comes to these events all the time,” Stewart says. “Don’t read too much into it.”
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