Columnist: GOP strength in Western PA

All hope is not lost for the Republican Party in Pennsylvania.

While Philadelphia and its suburbs went heavily for Barack Obama and helped Democrats increase their majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Republican Party did remarkably well in Western Pennsylvania, according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist Brad Bumstead.

From Bumstead's column:

In a huge year for Democrats, Republican John McCain carried Beaver County over Barack Obama and Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett, who is prosecuting Veon, beat Democrat John Morganelli to win a second term.

GOP state Senate candidate Elder Vogel whipped Democrat Jason Petrella and Republican Jim Christiana edged Democrat Rep. Vince Biancucci.

And lion slayer Jim Marshall, the incumbent Republican House member who defeated Veon in 2006, rolled up the biggest ratio, a 59-41 percent victory over Veon pal Dennis Rousseau.

Read the full column, "Voters exact their revenge," at the newspaper's Web site.