Politico today names Upper St. Clair Republican Tim Murphy one of the top 5 most vulnerable incumbents in the House this year.

Murphy has all the advantages in the primary, from name recognition to money, but he's in a tough place politically where he has to go right to fight off GOP challenger Evan Feinberg while facing a legitimate Democratic contender (Larry Maggi) in the fall.

Just look at the payroll tax cut extension (with no budget offsets) being floated by GOP leadership. Should he agree with the extension he'll face budgeting attacks tailor-made for Feinberg, but should he vote against it he'll deliver Maggi his own attack line on Murphy being out of touch with the middle class.

Here's Politico:

Conservative groups are rallying around Evan Feinberg, a former congressional aide who’s looking to unseat Murphy, a Pittsburgh-area congressman who has displayed a penchant for working with Democrats.

The anti-tax Club for Growth has dropped into the district, slamming Murphy in TV ads as a labor-aligned liberal who supports earmarks, and the tea party-aligned FreedomWorks has endorsed Feinberg. GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma have suggested they may support Feinberg, who formerly served as an aide to both senators, as well.

For Feinberg, the big question is whether his early conservative backing will translate into fundraising dollars. So far, it hasn’t. During the fourth quarter, Feinberg, who launched his campaign last fall, raised just $50,000. He’ll need to do better if he wants to catch up with Murphy, who raised more than five times that amount during the quarter and has nearly $1 million on hand.

Murphy, who has a spot on the influential Energy and Commerce Committee, has also received backup from the American Chemistry Council, which in December, took the unusual step of purchasing a $500,000 TV ad buy praising the congressman.

Today's the Pa filing deadline for Congress, and both Maggi and Feinberg released statements. They're in full below:

D. Raja, the Republican candidate for Allegheny County executive last year, is poised to join the run for state Sen. John Pippy's seat south of Pittsburgh.

The decision appears to be directly connected to the rejection of the state's proposed House/Senate lines, which would have cut Raja's home in Mt. Lebanon out of the 37th District. With Pippy deciding not to run for reelection and Mt. Lebo still in the district (under the 2001 lines that are still in effect), it makes the district an easy fit.

He is circulating petitions and may issue a statement in coming days, according to supporters. The filing deadline for state House and Senate seats has been pushed back to Thursday (with petitions for every other race on the April 24 ballot due tomorrow).

State Rep. Mark Mustio, R-North Fayette, has announced he is running for the GOP nomination for the seat too. He has filed his petitions already with the Department of State for the Senate seat, and has filed for his current 44th House seat as well, saying he was filing for both due to the ongoing uncertainty about the redistricted lines. (Fellow Republican Ron Steele of Moon has also filed for the 44th District seat.)

Mustio only got into the race after county councilman Vince Gastgeb aborted his run. Gun rights activist Kim Stolfer of South Fayette has also considered a bid.

Raja should be well known to Republican voters, spending $1.4 million of his own money on the executive race last year. On election day Nov. 8 the tech company president lost to Democrat Rich Fitzgerald 62-38%.

Pleasant Hills councilman Greg Parks may run on the Democratic side.

Gov. Tom Corbett said he expects to hear this week from legislative leaders about the prospects for redistricting and the upcoming primary elections.

"I have not heard from the leadership yet from either house on either side," Corbett said. "I am pretty sure I am going to hear from them this week."

The redistricting commission is working to draft another set of maps after the state Supreme Court invalidated a plan for new legislative districts. It's an open question whether that can be done in time to hold the primary elections as scheduled on April 24. But Corbett said state election officials are moving forward to prepare for voting on the April date.

When first asked if he expects the redistricting upheaval will push back the primary, Corbett responded: "If I knew that, I would have won that big Powerball the other day."

Corbett took questions from reporters amid the beeps and hums of a York factory that makes commercial air conditioners. He toured the site of Johnson Controls and then spoke about the state budget he proposed last week.

State Sen. Michael Waugh, a Republican whose district includes York, said he expects the primary will be held later than planned. 

"At this point I think it's a real good chance it's going to be pushed back," he said. "I don't think they have much choice."

Two candidates may get into the rather uphill battle of challenging longtime incumbent Mike Doyle in his Democratic-packed Pittsburgh-centered 14th District congressional seat.

Janis Brooks, a North Versailles pastor and youth program founder, is on the ballot on the Democratic side and tried to challenge Doyle unsuccessfully for yesterday's Allegheny County Committee endorsement.

On the Republican side Pittsburgh optometrist Hans Lessman, a speaker at tea party rallies, has filed his petitions with the Department of State.