By Mark Scolforo
HARRISBURG — A congressman running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination says party leaders have been too quick to embrace one of his rivals in next year's primary.
U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach told the Pennsylvania Press Club on Monday that most Republicans prefer a candidate with his record of working on a variety of state and federal issues to someone whose background is in law enforcement alone.
That's a reference to state Attorney General Tom Corbett, a former federal prosecutor who's been assembling a long list of endorsements from Pennsylvania's GOP power brokers.
Gerlach says he's reminded of the governor races in 2002 and 2006, when he says leaders cleared the field for anointed candidates who eventually lost to Democrat Ed Rendell.
Berks County state Rep. Sam Rohrer is also seeking the Republican nomination.
