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Cubs issue World Series championship ring to Bartman

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A’s trade Sonny Gray to Yankees

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Published reports say U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta has decided to challenge incumbent Bob Casey for Casey&#8217;s Senate seat in 2018.</p><p>But Barletta himself is not ready to say it.</p><p>Republican Barletta told the Times Leader on Monday he plans to soon make his intentions clear in regards to a possible bid to challenge Democrat Casey.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m continuing with the process,&#8221; Barletta said in a telephone interview. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been talking with a lot of people all over the state and it&#8217;s been a positive process. I plan to make an announcement within the next couple of weeks.&#8221;</p><p>An Associated Press story Monday said Barletta, 61, of Hazleton, has told GOP officials and activists he has decided to run for the Senate.</p><p>President Donald Trump &#8212; frustrated with the Senate&#8217;s slim Republican majority &#8212; has previously urged Barletta to enter the race.</p><p>Casey, 57, Scranton, would be seeking his third term in the Senate. Barletta has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2010, winning his fourth two-year term in November.</p><p>A person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press that Barletta began telling party officials of his decision last week, several months after he began considering it. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because Barletta has not yet made his plans public, the story stated.</p><p>Barletta said he has talked with Trump on at least two occasions about the Senate race and he has met with several Republican leaders in Congress.</p><p>&#8220;I have been very encouraged by everyone I&#8217;ve talked to,&#8221; Barletta said.</p><p>Asked if the announcement could be that he will not enter the Senate race, the former Hazleton mayor noted: &#8220;Until I officially make my announcement, anything can happen.&#8221;</p><p>Barletta endorsed Trump in the weeks leading up to Pennsylvania&#8217;s primary, became a co-chair of Trump&#8217;s ultimately successful campaign in the state and served on Trump&#8217;s transition team.</p><p>Barletta, a staunch Trump supporter in Congress, would quickly become the most recognizable name in a field of a half-dozen would-be challengers to Casey, the 57-year-old son of a late ex-governor and a fierce critic of the president.</p><p>Barletta has supported Trump-backed legislation to overhaul the American health care system and introduced a bill to fund the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to help Trump fulfill a key campaign promise.</p><p>In Pennsylvania, Democrats&#8217; hold a 4-to-3 registration edge over Republicans, though that did not stop Trump from becoming the first Republican since 1988 to capture the Keystone State&#8217;s crucial electoral votes last fall.</p><p><strong>Democrats respond</strong></p><p>When the AP story broke, David Bergstein, National Press Secretary at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, issued a news release that began with this warning: &#8220;Beating a Casey in Pennsylvania is not an easy thing to do.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Only an out-of-touch politician like Congressman Lou Barletta would roll out his campaign for higher office fresh off voting to increase out-of-pocket health care costs and end protections for those with pre-existing conditions,&#8221; Bergstein said in the release. &#8220;On top of his votes to end Medicare as we know it and privatize Social Security, he will have to explain why he voted for a bill that forces older Americans to pay an age tax for health care and strips protections for Pennsylvanians with cancer, asthma, or diabetes. At every turn, Congressman Barletta is looking out for himself and the wealthy-special interests he serves, while Pennsylvania&#8217;s seniors and working families pay the price.&#8221;</p><p><ins>Bergstein also listed several &#8220;things to know&#8221; about Barletta:</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; Barletta isn&#8217;t the GOP&#8217;s first choice and is entering a &#8220;crowded field.&#8221;</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; Barletta refused to hold town hall meetings because &#8220;he doesn&#8217;t find them productive,&#8221; and he was afraid of being confronted by voters.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; After a meeting with Trump, Barletta voted for the Republican health reform that spikes costs, strips coverage for pre-existing conditions and imposes an age tax on older Americans.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_CaseyMug.cmyk_-6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Casey </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_CaseyMug.cmyk_-6.jpg</photo0><caption0>Casey </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Barletta-8.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Barletta </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Barletta-8.jpg</photo1><caption1>Barletta </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta></subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle; the Associated Pres contributed to this story.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Despite reports, Barletta will not confirm U.S. Senate run against Casey