Commissioners Gear Up

The 2007 commissioners' race promises to be an interesting test of the strength of the Cumberland County Republican Party. By endorsing challenger Karen Gunnison over incumbent Gary Eichelberger, the party assures us of a primary season no less interesting than the five-way 2003 contest that resulted in the election of Eichelberger and fellow incumbent Bruce Barclay.

The Carlisle Sentinel weighs in with an unsurprisingly shallow analysis:

Given that there's not much daylight between Barclay and Eichelberger on the issues, we have to wonder if the one thing they did disagree about recently might have hurt Eichelberger. During budget deliberations, when an attempt to hold the line on taxes failed, Eichelberger abruptly suggested selling off Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

That suggestion, coming as it did late in the budget process, upset quite a few people in the community, if the reaction we received here was any indication.

While we don’t blame Eichelberger for questioning whether the county needs to own a nursing home, Claremont isn’t just any local business. It’s a community institution that employs a fair number of local residents and, more to the point, cares for quite a few of them. Many residents have an emotional attachment to Claremont and its employees.

Political parties can be fickle, and the origins of the preference for Gunnison over Eichelberger could be as simple as a series of personality disputes, but the Republican establishment wouldn't turn its back on an incumbent over an admittedly significant property divestment. In any event, the claws are out, and the personalities and emotions in this race will make it one to watch over the next few months.