Pullano Campaign for Mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvannia is not just hosting this year’s national meeting. It is also home to an energized Green campaign for mayor. Jennaro Pullano, the endorsed Berks County Green Party candidate has already achieved a great deal of success in his seven months of campaigning.
With the May primaries over, Pullano is looking to beat Democratic incumbent Tom McMahon, who only received a third of the votes from his party, and unsuccessful perennial Republican candidate Keith Stamm.
“This looks really good for me,” said Pullano. “Our campaign has been out on the streets, talking to over a thousand super voters, which is 10 percent of the voters who vote in every election. There is also a lot of dissatisfaction with the current administration. In April and May we are already polling near 50 percent with those voters. And it’s spring, early summer, remember!”
Dave Baker, Pullano’s campaign consultant, stated, “People remember us from two years ago, when we nearly won a city council seat with 48 percent of the vote. We also reached out to a lot of voters last year, when we attempted to have Pullano appointed to that council seat, when the sitting councilperson decided to step down. A lot of the people in that district didn’t appreciate the council appointing the mayor’s former secretary. This can only help strengthen us come November.”
A recent highlight to the campaign was an appearance by Pullano on local community television during primary night. Pullano presented what he as a candidate for mayor wants to see done. His message reverberated with the viewers as several call-ins contributed their agreement and support. The campaign is working to have a clip from the TV spot up on the website. “I hit that one out of the park,” Pullano beamed as he walked off the set.
One main snag is the strain of the national Green Party annual conference on the local Greens. With four Berks Greens and several PA Greens preoccupied with the July event, some volunteering efforts for the local campaigns have been weak Pullano said, “We still need to speak to eight thousand or so Reading super voters, shake their hands and let them know we are here. Our finances to produce literature and achieve campaign goals are not up to the level we need to be successful. The convention is definitely hurting our abilities to excel in these areas We are hoping some of the visiting NC delegates will be inspired by what we are doing, and come out to give us an hour or two on the streets and spread the word, by going back to doors or phone-banking and speaking to voters where we have only dropped literature.”
For information: www.pullanoformayor.org