Corbett ad touts unemployment numbers while poking feuding Democrats

By Andrew Staub | PA Independent Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, considered among the most vulnerable incumbents in the country, is hoping Pennsylvania’s lowest unemployment rate since 2008 will give him a boost with voters heading into this fall’s general election. Corbett used the latest unemployment figures in an ad that also highlighted the fighting within the cadre of Democrats looking to take over the office. While Tuesday’s primary has yet to decide who Corbett will face this fall, the governor took aim at three Democratic candidates — front-runner Tom Wolf, state Treasurer Rob McCord and U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz. The ad points out that Wolf and McCord have been dueling over their records on outsourcing jobs, while Schwartz has challenged Wolf on gender equality. “Tom Corbett’s also been fighting — for Pennsylvania jobs,” a woman in the ad said. “And it’s a fight he’s winning.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWZy7kxPAhA Corbett left out Katie McGinty, the former state environmental protection secretary who has stayed above the Democrat-on-Democrat crime during the primary but has trailed in the polls. The state’s unemployment rate fell below 7 percent in December, marking the first time it had been that low since January 2009. It’s continued to drop since then. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.7 percent in April after clocking in at 6 percent in March. April’s figures are the lowest since September 2008, and it’s below the U.S. rate of 6.3 percent. Though it’s improving, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate still hasn’t fallen to the level that former Govs. Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell each enjoyed when they were up for re-election. The rate stood at 4.5 percent for both as they sought their second terms. Andrew Staub is a reporter for PA Independent and can be reached at Andrew@PAIndependent.com. Follow @PAIndependent on Twitter for more.