Bruce L. Castor Jr., a longtime critic of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, has abandoned his quixotic quest to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Tom Corbett.

The Montgomery County commissioner and former two-term district attorney made a lot of noise about a primary challenge to Corbett in 2014, but with no appetite among party leaders (or financial backers) for a costly primary fight, Castor has backed down.

Corbett has not formally announced he is seeking re-election, but most political observers say he will run again despite low job-approval numbers. His likely opponent will be Philadelphia-area Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, a former abortion clinic owner.

Castor drops idea of 2014 challenge to Corbett