By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer - Daily Local

U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-6th, of West Pikeland, announced Thursday that he has ended his campaign for governor.

Gerlach said in a prepared statement that he does not have enough cash to run a competitive primary campaign.

"While we have successfully raised over $1 million … today's media-driven campaigns require four times that amount to wage a successful primary," Gerlach said.

He would have faced Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett in the Republican primary. His decision to withdraw gives Corbett a clear path to the GOP nomination.

Gerlach was the underdog in the primary, and until late last year, his campaign had been putting an aggressively positive spin on his lackluster polling numbers.

Gerlach, who is in his fourth term as the 6th Congressional District's representative, did not indicate in the release whether he would run for another term in Congress.

He said in July 2009, when he announced his gubernatorial candidacy, that he would not seek re-election to the U.S. House. But the wording in his withdrawal announcement was vague regarding his plans for the future.

Gerlach said that his low campaign cash left him with "two choices: either spend all of my time raising money with little time left for meeting with voters; or withdrawing my candidacy and working even harder to serve the public."

Later in the release, Gerlach said that he would continue to travel the state, advocating for good government, low taxes and initiatives that would spur job creation.

"I want to be clear about one thing: this campaign for governor has stoked my passion for honest, effective and efficient government, and I intend to continue to raise my voice, and work hard in the months and years ahead," Gerlach said.

A spokesman for Gerlach said the congressman has not decided if he will seek re-election in the 6th Congressioanl District, where an array of Republican candidates have already campaigned for months to replace him.

"At this point, Jim has said he has not ruled anything in

or out," said Kori Walter, campaign spokesman. He added that Gerlach has not decided if he will endorse Corbett, the gubernatorial front-runner.

Gerlach's entry into the 6th District primary would add yet another candidate to a Republican field that already contains five candidates.

Of these, State Rep. Curt Schroder, R-155th, of Downingtown, and businessman Steve Welch, of Phoenixville, appear to be ahead.

Schroder, a conservative, is well-known in the Chester County portion of the 6th District, and has been in the state House long enough to have gained name recognition in other parts of the district.

And Welch, who is 33, projects a youthful, energetic image and has shown himself willing to loan his own campaign large amounts of money — more than a half million dollars so far. Welch said he is a fiscal conservative and a social moderate.

Welch, however, lives just outside the district. He had initially planned to run in the 7th District, where he lives, but the GOP cleared the primary field for former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan. In Pennsylvania, candidates do not have to live in the congressional district in which they run.

The other Republicans are Walt Hufford, a geologist; Howard Cohen, who served as revenue secretary under former Gov. Dick Thornburgh; and Pat Sellers, who has some ties to Coatesville politics.

Reading physician Manan Trivedi and Lower Merion former newspaperman Doug Pike are competing for the 6th District Democratic nomination.

The 6th District contains portions of Chester, Berks and Montgomery counties, as well as a miniscule sliver of Lehigh County.

To contact staff writer Dan Kristie, send an e-mail to dkristie@dailylocal.com.