May 16, 2014 3 min read

When the state Supreme Court bounced Republican Bob Guzzardi from the primary ballot as a challenger to incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett, most Washington County Republicans were left with just one contested race, that for members of the Republican Committee of Pennsylvania.

Republicans will be electing four members – two women and two men – to their state party committee.

Washington County candidates are: Angela S. DeThomas of Washington, Sonia Stopperich of North Strabane Township, Jeff Foutz of South Strabane Township, Thomas J. Uram of North Strabane Township, Jenny C. Foutz of South Strabane, Karianne Bilsky of Canonsburg, Timothy P. Bilsky of Canonsburg and Eric “Steve” Rouillard of Peters Township.

State committee members and Republican county chairmen elect a state chairman and vice chairman to a four-year term, and choose a national committeeman and national committeewoman to represent Pennsylvania on the Republican National Committee. They can also choose to endorse candidates.

William Merrell of Peters Township resigned as Washington County Republican chairman earlier this year, and Foutz, as first vice president, succeeded him.

That elevation, however, did not automatically make Foutz eligible to serve on the state committee, he wrote in an email in response to an email about this story.

“I checked with the Pennsylvania GOP,” Foutz wrote. “I was informed that I am not recognized as chairman in regards to a voting member of state committee and I am considered an interim chairman.”

The Pennsylvania Republican Party website credits a Washington County resident, George I. Bloom, a Burgettstown native, with making the party into a statewide organization in 1959 with permanent headquarters in Harrisburg. When Bloom died in 1991, obituaries referred to him as “Mr. Republican.”

Democrats have more contests on their primary ballot as the party chooses a nominee to go up against Corbett on Nov. 4. Governor and lieutenant governor are nominated separately, so Democrats have four choices for the state’s top executive post and six choices for lieutenant governor. There are also races on the Democratic ballot in the 46th and 49th Legislative Districts.

The state Democratic Party website notes that in Pennsylvania, Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 1.1 million voters.

Democrats will be electing five members to their state committee: two women and two men plus the next highest vote-getter of either gender.

Candidates are Charles A. Crouse of East Washington, Alan Benyak of Carroll Township, Robert E. Fisher of South Strabane Township, Judith L. Fisher of South Strabane Township, George W. Vitteck Jr. of Canton Township, Madge Finney of Bentleyville, Nancy J. Ellis of Charleroi and Clifton L. Cochran of Washington.

The state Democratic website lists among the duties of a state committee member that he or she must “assist the party in its fundraising efforts by either contributing or committing to raise $1,000 for the state party’s operating budget each year.”

In Greene County, voters from the major parties will each elect a single candidate.

David Coder of Franklin Township was the lone Democrat who filed. On the GOP ticket, three candidates filed petitions: Elizabeth McClure of Franklin Township, James A. Minor of Monongahela Township and John Shaffer III of Jefferson Township.