Nov 1, 2012 3 min read

One thing is definite about the auditor general’s race.Those who live in either the 40th or 95th legislative districts will see one candidate’s name twice on the ballot.State Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, and State Rep. Eugene DePasquale III, D-York, are running for two offices: General Assembly and state auditor general.Unlike DePasquale, who has a Libertarian opponent, Dave Moser, in the 95th Legislative District, Maher is running unopposed in the 40th District.A candidate can run for more than one office, but, if elected to more than one, he or she must choose one in which to serve. Should either Maher or DePasquale prevail in both the auditor general and legislative races, a special election, scheduled by the speaker of the House, can be held to fill the legislative seat that will be vacated in January. A similar situation would occur if state Rep. Matt Smith wins the 37th Senatorial District race over D. Raja.”You are tied in some ways to how the top of the ticket goes. This is a race that is very tough to raise money for,” DePasquale said of his statewide race.A “special” election does not have to be held on a random Tuesday. “If Sam Smith, (R-Punxsutawney,) continues as speaker of the House, a vacancy would be filled in a vote that coincides with the May (2013) primary,” Maher said. “I don’t want to pre-suppose the outcome of the election or even if Sam would be speaker. I expect he will be if Republicans continue in the majority. I have no idea who would be speaker if they do not.” Maher was elected to the state House in a 1997 special election after the death of State Rep. Al Pettit.A special election can’t be held any sooner than 90 days after a vacancy occurs, DePasquale said. He noted that if a special election is scheduled for the same day as the May primary, there would be no additional cost to taxpayers. Unlike Maher, two state representatives and one Congressman have no opposition anywhere on the Nov. 6 ballot.Under a reapportionment plan, state Rep. Jesse White of Cecil, Cecil Township, would have been pitted against another incumbent Democratic legislator, Nick Kotik of Robinson Township, Allegheny County. But late in the game, the state Supreme Court threw out the redistricting plan. No one from either the Democratic or Republican parties filed against White, so he’s coasting to a fourth, two-year term in the 46th District, which includes parts of Washington, Beaver and Allegheny counties.State Rep. Brandon P. Neuman, also a Democrat, will continue to represent the Washington, Canonsburg and Bentleyville areas in the 48th District.Neuman, a resident of North Strabane Township, had no opponent in the Democratic primary, and a Republican write-in candidate failed to clear the threshold with enough votes to gain a spot on the November ballot. Neuman will be heading back to Harrisburg for his second, two-year term.