2002 Dirty Dozen
George Gekas: Race at a Glance 2002
Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District
| George Gekas (R) | 49% | |
| Tim Holden (D) | 51% |  |
The Race
The once-per-decade redistricting process combined Pennsylvania incumbents George Gekas and Tim Holden into a new 17th Congressional District. Although the district was created to allow an easy Republican victory, Holden's record of bipartisanship made this campaign one of the most competitive House races in the country. Gekas, a 20-year veteran of Congress, earned a lifetime score of 17% on LCV's National Environmental Scorecard. Holden, a moderate Blue Dog Democrat, worked to increase voluntary conservation programs to help farmers and protect water quality, and voted to strengthen arsenic standards in drinking water. In the end, central Pennsylvania voters sent a strong message by opposing Gekas and selecting Holden to represent them in this new and overwhelmingly Republican district.
The Environment
In 2000, industries located in counties in central Pennsylvania released over ten million pounds of toxins into the air, land, and water. Meanwhile thousands of acres of farmland has been lost to water contamination and lack of land conservation funding. LCV polls in August 2002 showed 79% of survey respondents felt conservation or environmental issues were important to deciding how to vote. 67% of voters found that Gekas votes to roll back clean water laws were a reason to vote against him. In an election eve survey, LCV found that Gekas poor environmental record was one of the top reasons for independents and late-deciders--key demographic targets in this tight race--to vote against him.
LCV Activities
On July 23, George Gekas became the 5th member of LCV's 2002 Dirty Dozen. LCV's campaign focused on voters in the Harrisburg area. Using an ad highlighting Gekas history of failing to protect the health and safety of Central Pennsylvanians, LCV's television buy in Harrisburg cut into Gekas base and allowed Holden to make gains. LCV's ad began October 18 and ran for two weeks, helping to counter-balance President Bush's visits to the area on behalf of Gekas. The moderate tone of the ad was critical to effectively communicating with voters of all stripes who care about environmental protections. LCV's work in this race was profiled on National Public Radio in an October 17 piece that gave a behind-the-scenes look at LCV's Dirty Dozen campaign from the announcement naming Gekas to the list through Election Night.
