With the Chair election Saturday morning, judicial endorsements on the agenda, and groundwork being laid for 2018, the late night receptions had lots to talk about.  

Here’s the rundown of the scuttlebutt and rumors.

The fight for chairman

In a few hours, Chester County GOP Chair Val DiGiorgio and PAGOP General Counsel Lawrence Tabas will square off to see which of them will become the new party chair.

On Friday night, they held dueling receptions after the party dinner.

• Majority Leader Jake Corman and former Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley spent their nights at the DiGiorgio reception. Senate Pro Tempe Joe Scarnati was on the billing, but couldn’t attend due to family matters.   
• RNC Members Christine Toretti and Bob Asher both exclusively attended DiGiorgio’s reception. Asher has been a very public supporter of DiGiorgio for Chair.  
• Most of the rank and file state party members walked between the two receptions, but there tended to be a larger crowd at the Tabas reception.  

Lobbying individual state committee members lasted late into the night.

Judicial endorsements

• Today’s judicial endorsement votes are expected to go smoothly, with the widespread belief that there will be the same number of endorsements as there are vacancies on each Court. (Which matches the picture from the regional straw polls).

2018 groundwork

• During his remarks at the Dinner, State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner (R-York) threw a little shade at a prospective PA-Gov opponent. Namely by taking credit for securing Senator Jake Corman (R-Center) his position as Majority Leader. Corman was in the room at the dinner. (Wagner helped Corman topple incumbent Leader Dominic Pileggi in 2014).
• Rick Saccone is still considering a run for U.S. Senate. He met with state party members about a run.  
• Former Treasurer Candidate and businessman Otto Voit has kept his campaign accounts from his run open, and there is chatter that he is considering a run for Lieutenant Governor in 2018.
• Former Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser has also been floating the idea for a bid for LG.  
• Continuing the LG train, there were very quiet talks about a possible run by state Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R-Lancaster).

Disclosure: The author formerly worked for the Pa. Republican Party.