114 votes keep Saccone in seat
Washington County Elections Director Larry Spahr explains to representatives of Democrat David Levdansky and Republican Rick Saccone the ground rules for the count of absentee and provisional ballots Tuesday in the 39th Legislative District race.
Rick Saccone
One-term incumbent Republican legislator Rick Saccone broadened his margin in the 39th Legislative District, beating Democrat David Levdansky by 114 votes.
Washington County put Saccone over the top, according to a vote count of both absentee and military ballots completed late Tuesday afternoon.
Levdansky led 11,411 to Saccone’s 11,101, according to Allegheny County Elections Division Manager Mark Wolosik.
But in Washington County, the candidates’ positions were reversed, with Saccone garnering 3,378 votes to Levdansky’s 2,959. Not included in the Washington County totals of polled and absentee votes were nine military votes, which split 7 Saccone, 2 Levdansky.
The Democrat could not immediately be reached for comment.
Saccone, however, said late Tuesday, “I’m feeling a little bit more comfortable now. We’ve followed the process.”
Initial reports on Election Night gave Levdansky a 125-vote victory over Saccone with 98 percent of the votes counted in Allegheny County.
By 2:16 a.m. Nov. 7, the lead flipped with Saccone holding a 36-vote edge over his challenger, whom he unseated in 2010 by 144 votes. Saccone said he was humbled by an “outpouring” of support as the count continued into this week.
“I had over 18 churches praying for me,” said Saccone, who introduced a bill that passed the state legislature proclaiming 2012 as the year of the Bible.
“My wife and I really thank those people for their words of encouragement,” Saccone said. “We had over 1,000 people calling or texting or emailing us, and I really have no way to get back to those people individually.”
Saccone, a resident of Elizabeth, teaches political science at St. Vincent College, Latrobe. Levdansky, a Forward Township resident, held the 39th District legislative seat for 25 years until being voted out in 2010.
Attorney Ron Hicks, who represented Saccone’s campaign and the Republican Party of Allegheny County, said some provisional ballots are scheduled to be challenged next week in court. There are not enough, however, to make a difference in the margin of votes.
While the Allegheny County tallies were available by early afternoon, the count of absentee ballots did not begin in Washington County until about that time, finishing up shortly before 5 p.m.
Both Wolosik and Larry Spahr, Washington County elections director, said their counts are complete except for military and overseas ballots that may have arrived in Tuesday’s mail.
Thirteen precincts in Washington County included in the district are in Carroll, Union and Nottingham townships and Finleyville and New Eagle boroughs.