Challenges to nominating petitions submitted by two Democratic state House candidates in Beaver County were filed in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court on Tuesday.
In the 10th Legislative District, four residents – Jenn Tomon, Joe Tomon, Joe Carofino and Brandy Tillia – objected to the petitions filed by Beaver Falls Democrat Joe McGurk, while four 15th Legislative District residents – Darren Iams, Tanmi Iams, Rodney Plants and Jessica Plants – objected to Democratic Beaver Councilman Alex Andres’ petitions.
Court docket sheets did not provide a reason for the challenges. Bucks County attorney Lawrence Otter is representing the petitioners in both cases, but he did not return a telephone message Tuesday.
McGurk is seeking to take on state Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-10, New Beaver, in the general election while Andres would be running against Republican Beaver attorney Josh Kail to fill the seat being vacated by state Rep. Jim Christiana, R-15, Brighton Township, who is leaving after his fifth two-year term.
McGurk, who is the sole Democrat running in the 10th District primary, only submitted a little more than the required 300 signatures when most candidates try to collect about double the minimum, if possible, to provide a buffer in case questions are raised.
Last week, McGurk expressed confidence in his petitions. “I’m not worried because all the signatures are good,” he told The Times.
“At this point it is a legal matter and I can’t comment until the lawyers have read their complaints,” McGurk said Tuesday when asked if he could discuss the objection to his petitions.
Andres also said he could not comment on the challenge to his petitions because he had yet to see the petitioners’ argument, although he said he was “pretty confident” in the 400-plus signatures he submitted.
“It’s a little disappointing,” Andres said of the challenge. “I’m surprised that the challenge came so late, but I’m not surprised. It is politics. Friends of mine warned me about this.”
If either Andres or McGurk fall below the 300 signature threshold, the court could knock them off the Democratic primary ballot. If they wanted to continue running, they would have to then run write-in campaigns to win spots on the general election ballot.
Typically, these challenges are supported – if not officially then with a wink and a nod – by opponents, who hope to see their rivals spend money to fight court challenges, be removed from the ballot and forced to run write-in campaigns, or get frustrated with the process and drop out completely.