Friday roundup: incumbents in peril

Your Harrisburg reporters were hard at work today wrapping up some stories for this weekend's newspapers, but before we leave you, a little catch-up on the day's political headlines:

- Pennsylvania's congressmen named Tim -- Republican Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair and Democrat Tim Holden of Schyulkill County -- made The Washington Post's list of incumbents most likely to be defeated in the upcoming primary contests. The paper writes:

Holden was one of few Democrats who survived in a conservative district last election, and Republicans appeared to do him a favor by ... giving him a much more Democratic district in the process. But that new territory also drew new intra-party opposition, and lawyer Matt Cartwright has reportedly put together $600,000 for his primary challenge April 24. 

And of Murphy:

27-year-old former Senate aide Evan Feinberg — has been endorsed by Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Tom Coburn (Okla.). (Feinberg used to work for Paul.) Murphy's campaign, meanwhile, is touting polling that shows him with a massive lead, but the Campaign for Primary Accountability has pledged to spend $200,000 on ads hitting Murphy.

- After Congressman Mark Critz's tele-conference rebuttal yesterday to opponent U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire's latest ad, Critz will be up on TV beginning this evening with a video response, featuring logos of the union and seniors groups that have endorsed him. (Hat-tip to PoliticsPA)

- And closer to home, residents of state Rep. Joe Preston's East Liberty district whose names were forged on his ballot petitions spoke out yesterday. The Allegheny County elections bureau says they've turned over affidavits from people who said they never signed Mr. Preston's petitions to county police for investigation.