Open seats in 49th, 58th districts draw hopefuls; opponents also file in other districts
Six Democrats and two Republicans filed nominating petitions in Harrisburg for a chance to succeed retiring state Rep. Peter J. Daley in the 49th Legislative District, while three Democrats and a GOP member filed in the 58th District seat now held by state Rep. Ted Harhai, who also is stepping aside.
In the 49th District, Washington County Democratic candidates listed on the Department of State database were Alan D. Benyak of Carroll Township, Donn R. Henderson of Fallowfield Township, Randy J. Barli of Coal Center and Brendan Anthony Garay of California, Mark L. Alterici of Charleroi and Robert Kepics of Monongahela. Republicans Donald Cook of West Pike Run Township and Melanie S. Patterson of Washington Township, Fayette County, are trying for nominations.
The candidate database lists Henderson’s petitions as “rejected.” Henderson said Tuesday he’s headed to Commonwealth Court today to challenge the status, to which he said he was relegated because the signatures gathered for his nominating petitions were recorded on one side of pages rather than both. The challenge, to be filed by an attorney in Harrisburg, will contend placing signatures on both sides of a page is not enshrined in election law, but merely an instruction. Henderson’s attorney intends to argue neither his client nor the 410 signers of his petitions should be disenfranchised.
In the 58th Legislative District, two Monessen Democrats – Charles Mrlack Jr. and James John Manderino – filed along with Democrat Mary Popovich of West Newton and Robert A. McDonald of Hempfield Township. The lone Republican was Justin M. Walsh of Rostraver Township. All are from Westmoreland County.
The Pennsylvania Department of State accepted petitions through 5 p.m. Tuesday.
A contest in the fall is shaping up in the 15th Legislative District, where Republican Jim Christiana of Brighton Township, Beaver County, is the incumbent. Dennis E. Nichols of Brighton Township and Michael Rossi of Center Township, both of Beaver County, filed as a Democratic candidates in the district that includes western parts of Washington and Beaver counties.
In the 40th District, which includes Peters Township, Upper St. Clair and part of Bethel Park, Democrat Andrew J. Zahalsky of Upper St. Clair filed as a general election challenger to incumbent Republican John Maher.
In the 48th Legislative District, which includes Washington and Canonsburg, incumbent Democrat Brandon Neuman filed, as did Republican Jerome T. Cypher of East Washington Borough.
The 50th District incumbent, Democrat Pam Snyder of Morgan Township, Greene County, has a likely Republican opponent in Elizabeth L. Rohanna McClure of Franklin Township. The district includes all of Greene County, a small sliver of southeastern Washington County and the Brownsville and Masontown areas of Fayette County.
Incumbent Republicans Jason Ortitay of South Fayette Township and Richard Saccone of Elizabeth Township were the sole Republican candidates as of mid-morning in the 46th and 39th State House districts, respectively. Their districts include parts of Washington and Allegheny counties.
Saccone’s expected opponent in the general election, Democrat Peter Thaddeus Kobylinski of South Park Township, appeared on the Department of State’s candidate database at midday. Former state representative Jesse White of Cecil Township and Joseph R. Szpara of Collier Township, Allegheny County, both filed nominating petitions for the Democratic primary in the 46th District.
State senators from odd-numbered districts are on the ballot this year, and in the 37th District, incumbent Republican Guy Reschenthaler is making a bid for a four-year term. In a special election in November, he won the seat, succeeding Matt Smith, who resigned to take a job with Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. A Democrat, Edward H. Eichenlaub of Bethel Park, hopes to face the Republican in the fall in a district includes Peters Township plus communities in southern and western Allegheny County.
In the sprawling 9th Congressional District, which includes part of Washington and Greene counties and all of Fayette County, incumbent Republican Bill Shuster has a Bedford County opponent in his own primary. Arthur L. Halvorson of Harrison Township, a commercial real estate investor, also ran against Shuster in 2014. No Democrat filed as of mid-morning.
In the 18th Congressional District, which includes most of Washington County, part of Greene County, south Allegheny County and part of Westmoreland County, incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy filed.
Multiple candidates filed for delegate or alternate delegate to their respective party conventions in the 18th Congressional District.
Democratic delegate candidates include Greene County Commissioner David V. Coder of Franklin Township and Frederick Kopas of Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County; Joyce Bender of Moon Township; Franco Harris of Leet Township; Norma McCuen or Findlay Township; Joan M. Buchewicz of South Park; and Craig Grella and Mykie S. Reidy of Mt. Lebanon. The alternate delegate candidate was Robert Rendar, also of Hempfield Township.
Republican delegate candidates from the 18th include Thomas J. Uram of North Strabane Township; Scott E. Avolio and John Thomas Petrarca of Unity Township, Westmoreland County; state Rep. Rick Saccone, James R. Means and Sue Ann Means of Bethel Park; and Albert Ernest Quaye III of Moon Township, Allegheny County; Joseph DiSarro of Carnegie; and Charles T. Konkus and Virginia J. Strain of Penn Township, Westmoreland County. Quaye, Uram, John J. Wink and Laura J. Schisler of Moon Township and Lois Wolf-Geer of North Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, are running for alternate delegate.
Democratic National Convention delegate candidates from the 9th Congressional District include Madeline R. Snyder of Morgan Township and four Fayette County residents, James T. David and Melinda Kay Deal of Redstone Township, Michael G. Cordaro, of Bullskin Township and Vincent A. Vicites of South Union Township. Alexis Ann Waksmunski of Susquehanna Township, Cambria County; Kathleen Hendricks of Ayr Township, Fulton County; Sheri Morgan of Greencastle, Franklin County; and Gillian Kratzer of Altoona, Blair County.
Republican National Convention delegate candidates from the 9th District include Robert L. Thomas of Chambersburg, Franklin County; U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster of Providence Township West, Bedford County; Lois M. Kaneshiki of Blair Township, Judith F. Ward, Frankstown Township, and August C. Stickel IV of Altoona, all from Blair County; and Clayton David Shaw of North Union Township, and Cody Raymond Knotts of Uniontown, both from Fayette County; Joseph Lamantia of White Township, Indiana County; and Debra D. Taylor of Montgomery Township, Franklin County.
Stickel also filed as a candidate for alternate delegate.