Committee members gearing up for special election in 37th Senatorial
Within hours of the Lt. Gov. Mike Stack choosing April 2 for a special election in the 37th state Senatorial District, the Washington County Democratic Committee, via Facebook, posted information on two candidates’ forums and one debate for committee members to acquaint themselves with hopefuls.
Listed as candidates in the post are Dr. Bob Solomon of North Fayette Township and Pam Iovino of Mt. Lebanon, both of whom made bids for last year’s special Congressional election to succeed the disgraced Tim Murphy in the 18th District eventually won by Conor Lamb; plus Olivia Benson of Mt. Lebanon and Martin Schmotzer of Whitehall.
The 37th Senatorial District includes southern and western Pittsburgh suburbs of Allegheny County plus Peters Township in Washington County.
The events for committee members are a debate at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Moon Middle School, 8353 University Boulevard, Coraopolis; and a candidates’ forum at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Mt. Lebanon municipal building, 710 Washington Road. Another candidates’ forum was held Wednesday at the South Park municipal complex.
A date for a Democratic nominating convention has not yet been determined.
There is a vacancy in the 37th Senatorial District because Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican, resigned just before he was sworn in last week as a U.S. congressman in the 14th Congressional District representing all of Washington, Greene and Fayette counties and part of Westmoreland County.
Republican candidates seeking their party’s nomination include Mt. Lebanon Republican D. Raja, who made an unsuccessful bid for the seat in 2012 against Democrat Matt Smith; and Bridgeville businessman Devlin Robinson.
Republicans will be choosing their candidate Jan. 27. The site of the meeting has not yet been determined, according to David Ball, spokesman for the Washington County Republican Committee.
“Special” elections have become almost routine in the district.
Smith resigned his senatorial seat to become president of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, paving the way for the 2015 special election in which Reschenthaler defeated Democrat Heather Arnet.