Congratulations to Jeff Clark for winning the Republican primary election in Cumberland County

By Vincent DiFilippo

Congratulations to Jeff Clark for winning the recent primary election as the Republican candidate for the 88^th PA House District.  Jeff worked very hard and is a deserving and competent candidate even though the Cumberland County Republicans endorsed another candidate.  Thank you, Sheryl Delozier, for your many years of service as the 88^th PA House District representative.  Cumberland County saw the Democrat Party make substantial gains at the local level during the last general election in November 2025.  The reasons for this occurring can be debated but I believe the main reasons for the poor showing for Republicans include candidate complacency, voter dislike of Donald Trump and poor policy by the county Republican Party.  I believe the first two reasons are self-explanatory.  Regarding the Cumberland County Republican Party, well, here are some ideas that they might want to consider for the future.  First, there are too many officers, committees, etc.  The organization chart is over the top and quite confusing.  We need a chairman, but we don’t need multiple deputy chairman’s, vice chairman’s and other mentioned positions on the chart.  The bylaws are too complex and cumbersome and seem to change whenever certain people want them to change.  Also, with few exceptions there should NOT be any candidate endorsements during the primary elections.  We should have open primaries. How can we elect good candidates by giving a select few early endorsements?  The current practice often stops good candidates from running for office and encourages patronage and no transparency.  Let the candidates run in the primary without the fear of being shunned by a few who think they run the party.  The only time endorsements should be considered in a primary election is when the number of candidates running equals the number of spots open for the elected position.  Also, even though the county party claims they don’t endorse below-the-county-level elected positions, they have on more than one occurrence, secretly endorse candidates in local elections.  Silver Spring Township was one example.  This lack of transparency must stop.  

The current chairman of the Republican Party did do some good things when he first was elected.  He organized the party and pushed for improvement.  Over time, however, we saw the patronage factor come into play.  It is sad to see this, and I hope that the county party comes to its senses and picks another path for success.  

The Republican Party, nationwide, has some work to do as well.  I believe many Republicans are caught trying to decide to be a Trumper or believe in true Republican principles.  Trump has been a double-edged sword to our party.  You can say what you want about Trump.  He’s certainly had some success. But he is not accomplishing what I thought he would accomplish.  However, I cannot imagine what the condition of our country would be if Kamala Harris was our president.  The Republicans are hurting, that is for sure, but the Democrats, at least at the national level, are totally out of touch.  We need Republicans at all levels to once again be the party of Lincoln.  Once we can accomplish this task, maybe the party will return to being the Grand Old Party.  Democrats can also regain the respect they had at one time by choosing principles that America believed in.  If you look at the Democratic Party’s national platform from 1996, most of it appears reasonable and includes many principles supported by Republicans.  Wow, times have changed.  We need a strong two-party system; otherwise, our country will continue its slide towards socialism and further moral decay.  Regarding the Cumberland County Republican Committee, we need honest leadership, open primaries and the ability to work together and unite.  Yes, it may sound like a fairytale, but the county Republican Party has been lacking a clear direction for many years.  Let us support a leader who believes in real Republican Party principles.  

Vincent DiFilippo is a Former Cumberland County Commissioner, and Silver Spring Township Supervisor