4TH DISTRICT RACE Dems take aim at Hart

The economy is the No. 1 issue for both Democratic candidates.
& lt;a href=mailto:cioffi@vindy.com & gt;By LAURE CIOFFI & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Evidence that anyone was vying for the Democratic nomination for the 4th Congressional District was scarce in Lawrence and Mercer counties.
Only last week did campaign signs for Stevan Drobac Jr. start popping up along roads.
His opponent, Eric Wafer, said last week that he had yet to make it to Lawrence County and had made only a few trips to Mercer County.
"We are not ignoring our beloved brothers in the north," Wafer said, promising more campaign signs and visits to both counties.
The district encompasses Lawrence and Beaver counties and parts of Butler, Mercer and Allegheny counties.
Both candidates realize it's going to take a lot of hard work for the winner to face incumbent Republican Melissa Hart. Hart, of Bradford Woods, Pa., is seeking her third term in office.
Drobac was her Democratic opponent in the last election. He says he came back because Hart's showing, despite her victory, wasn't that great.
"She spent $1.25 million to my $75,000 and she only defeated me by 55,000 votes. She should have really shellacked me, but she didn't," he said.
Drobac said his fund raising is going much better this campaign, but he refused to reveal his numbers.
Reasons for running
Wafer said he decided to get in the race because the Democratic Party in Beaver County asked him.
He touts his time in Haiti as a human rights attorney, where he helped build a library, his background in law and experience working on Democratic political campaigns in Iowa as reasons for his running.
Wafer and Drobac think the economy is the top issue in this race.
"Our area has lost 13,000 jobs. That is devastating. It's hard to put a price tag on that one. It impacts families, schools and businesses," Wafer said. "We have to look at our trade policies and our tax structure. It all goes through [Washington,] D.C."
Drobac said the country needs to move from free trade to fair trade policies.
"It's plain and simple. Wages and salaries create prosperity. Without labor you have no capital. All of labor is going overseas," he said. Drobac said he would like to see more policies passed in Congress that would keep jobs in this country.
Both candidates say they oppose the war in Iraq but did support our military's move on Afghanistan.
Criticizing incumbent
Both are also quick to point out that Hart's voting record has been strictly along Republican Party lines.
"She's a yes person to the party. You have to be a yes person to your constituents. That's what separates the good from the bad," Drobac said.
"She's the darling of the GOP," Wafer said. "She follows the party lines when voting. The only problem is the benefits are going to Texas and Oklahoma. We get a bus or two donated to us from the federal government, but how about help to get a company that builds buses? None of that is coming to the district. There is a point where the district has to have better representation."
& lt;a href=mailto:cioffi@vindy.com & gt;cioffi@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;