Today's the last day to challenge nomination petitions for candidates in this year's municipal races. There's a tight time limit on challenges because, until resolved, they delay elections official in preparing the ballot. By the close of business today, there've been objections against four office hopefuls: Northampton County Council President Kerry Myers; Northampton County Council D1 (Bethlehem) nominee Bill Rowe, Bangor Area School Director Toni E Lynch and Pen Argyl Area School District contender Tighe Scott. Hearings are set to begin on Wednesday before Senior Judge Ed Reibman.
NorCo Council President Kerry Myers: Myers seeks re-election in County Council District 2, which consists of the Easton area. He has a primary opponent, Forks Tp's Kelly Keegan. Her husband Ed, along with Laurie Jackson, have filed objections to Myers' nomination petition. Keegan and Jackson are represented by none other than the Otter (Larry Otter), who swam up the Delaware River yesterday morning in pouring rain to file papers.
Things look bad for Myers. He's run for office several times and knows he should try to get twice the 250 signatures needed. He submitted only 310. The complaint attacks 110 signatures.
According to the challenge, 45 voter signatures came from outside of Myers' district. What's more, another 18 are either not registered at all or are registered with some other party. One voter lives in Allentown. These three defects alone take Myers under the 250 signatures needed.
There are also voters who signed more than once and others whose names are illegible or who failed to include required information.
Some of there errors can be cured, but not enough.
From what I've been able to piece together, these petitions were making the rounds at Shiloh Baptists Church on Easton's south side in yet another example of a church improperly involving itself in political activity. Parishioners were only too happy to sign, but many live outside the district. Although Myers has attested that he circulated most of these petitions, I understand he was largely absent. It's pretty obvious no effort was made to ensure that those signing were legally able to do so.
NorCo Council District 1 (Bethlehem area) hopeful Bill Rowe: Former NorCo Council member Ken Kraft has filed a nomination petition on the Democratic side with no opposition from other Democrats. He must have been surprised when Bill Rowe, a Bechtel Orchards' scion, filed on the Republican side.
Steven R Topp, a Bethlehem Republican, has objected to Rowe's nomination petition. He is also represented by The Otter.
Instead of attacking the validity of Rowe's signatures, Otter contends that Rowe committed what might seem like a harmless error, but is one that sounds the death knell to a nomination petition.
When a nomination petition is filed in the elections office, it must also include a Statement of Financial Interests (SFI) listing income and debts. But that's not all. This SFI must also be filed with the governing body of the municipality in which office is sought. In Rowe's case, that means he was required to file a SFI with the Clerk of County Council as well. He failed to do so.
You might say this is harmless error, and it is. The elections office has a copy. Any member of the public can see it. So it really should make no difference.
But it does. The Pa Supreme Court rejected Bob Guzzardi when he sought the GOP nod in a Governor's race precisely because he failed to properly file his SFI. The Court rejected an equitable approach because the requirement that a SFI be filed at two locations is "“clear, unambiguous, mandatory, and unyielding. ” In re Guzzardi, 627 Pa. 1, 5 (Pa. 2014). This requirement is mandatory, not precatory.
Rowe can wage a write-in campaign to get 250 votes for the Republican nomination.
Bangor Area School Director Toni E Lynch. Lynch has cross-filed. Only his Republican nomination petition has been challenged
Caterina Campbell, represented by Attorney Victoria Opthof Cordaro, complains that he failed to get dates to accompany his signatures.
This strikes me as a chicken shit objection because that's hardly a fatal defect.
Pen Argyl Area School Director Tighe Scott. Scott only filed on the Republican side of the ledger. His opponent is Lisa Hackman. I learned of ths challenge after leaving the courthouse yesterday, and am unable to provide the basis of the complaint. I will update you soon.
So, the buzz in the Halls were true. Word is that McClure had his people working overtime to have Rowe and Myers off the ballot. He wants the path cleared for his picks for county council to have a clear run to election. You have to give him credit, between Controller and council he is going to control the county without any objections.
ReplyDeleteAppears they are true. Meyers is now off the ballot. One of McClure’s puppets will likely win the seat since there are no republican challengers.
DeleteMelissa Finken filed to run as a Republican for Supervisor in Plainfield Township. Minor problem is that would be a violation of the Hatch Act, since her paperwork shows accurately that she is a Mail Carrier for the US Postal Service. Postal Employees are barred from running in partisan elections. Everyone is talking about it - but who wants to pay $152.50 to challenge this obvious violation of the law?
ReplyDeleteToo little too late 😉
DeleteOkay so what's the scoop- in the District 1 election why would a Republican torpedo the nomination of someone of his own party? What are we missing- some internecine rivalry?
ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteDo you ever proof read what you write before posting, or are you repeating yourself because you think we need to read the same paragraphs multiple times?
Seems you are the proofreading expert, keep up the good work and mentor Bernie as you read and comment on his blogging escapades
DeleteAll of this bears repeating. Lol. It looks like you got spraint stuck in your keyboard. When the Otter is finished with Myers, Kerry will be tasting spraint in his sleep. What a fitting way for such a detestable person to be dismissed from public life. Buh bye.
ReplyDeleteA Northampton Area School District Candidate should be challenged but from what I am told having over 30 errors in a lot of 99 signatures is not a fatal flaw. How can someone have complete disregard for the rules and still get to run? When the first page of 38 signatures on a Republican petition has 13 signatures from Democrats, Independents, No Affiliations and people from outside regions there was clearly no concern as to who was signing. Then we get further into the Republican petitions and see there are duplicates. One of the duplicates is a FORGED signature AND also signed as the circulator. Then there's minor things like letting people print in the signature box, use initials in the print box, dates out of order or only single digits as the date. On the Democrat petition there is only 11 signatures, 10 on one page and 1 on the second. The second page lone signor also signed as the circulator, he is a registered Republican. His other 10 signatures all occurred on the same day, on the same street and houses in numerical order. What are the odds you get 10 Democrats to sign for you on one block back to back? There is also the line where someone started to write a duplicate name, crossed it off and in the same line wrote someone else's nickname. Seems odd, yet it is not enough to have someone stricken from the ballot. I've heard this has happened in the past, one candidate has no respect for the process but gets to stay on. Judges are more annoyed with these issues being challenged then holding candidates like this to a moral standard. How many errors have to be made before we say that's too many?
ReplyDeleteI don't know any of these candidates personally but as a parent with a few kids in the district that will be affected by the proposed new school, one that has watched current board members take naps during meetings and sees the social media war already going on among these candidates I wanted to see who was being honest right off the bat. Especially since they all cross filed. I spent my entire weekend checking each petition submitted. The other three candidates had almost no errors. I will be remembering this when I cast my primary vote.
There is false information here. The election office checked all circulators upon submission of petitions. If a circulator was the wrong political party they would know. It is far more likely that whatever data the poster here is using to check circulators has not been updated to show a change in circulator registration.
DeletePersonally I find it very plausible that this candidate got all his dem signatures on one street in numerical order. On this region of the county, the candidate you mention was very involved in a bipartisan warehouse issue that affected 2 streets in particular in that community. It’s no surprise that the democrats on that street have all signed this candidate’s petition.
DeleteThe author of these accusations is likely an opposing candidate and may be the same person who sent a threatening letter to the home of the candidate in question in an effort to discourage them from running in the election. Be advised the police have been contacted, and the letter has had the opposite effect.
DeleteDid you have a stroke, this article is repeating itself 3 times
ReplyDeleteShould we be worried about your mental health?
I forgot to mention the Northampton Area School Board candidate with many errors also put the wrong year on their financial form. Just another example of their lack of respect for the process and instructions. I guess this is what you can expect from a candidate that is letting criminals run his campaign.
ReplyDeleteTell us what to expect from the other candidate, who is himself a criminal and has had involvement by the county court to protect a woman from being terrorized by him.
DeleteKerry's petition has a taint of spraint and ain't gonna cut the mustard
ReplyDelete"Melissa Finken filed to run as a Republican for Supervisor in Plainfield Township. Minor problem is that would be a violation of the Hatch Act, since her paperwork shows accurately that she is a Mail Carrier for the US Postal Service. Postal Employees are barred from running in partisan elections. Everyone is talking about it - but who wants to pay $152.50 to challenge this obvious violation of the law?"
ReplyDeleteIf Finken is in violation of the Hatch Act, a complaint to the feds willresult in her termination as a mail carrier. That's the remedy, nit removal from the ballot.
7:23, If you're so concerned about the nomination petition for this school board candidate, file a complaint. It seems that, buy your own comment, he git roughly 10 times what he needed so it should not matter that some signatures are bad.
ReplyDeleteTo the folks complaining about my run-on paragraphs, I don;t know what I did wrong, but apparently made a poor choice in my cut and paste function while writing this story. The error has been fixed. TY for noting it.
ReplyDelete@Bernie - 9:16
ReplyDeleteI hear what you're saying but what's the point in rules if we're just going to let candidates do whatever the heck they want? I did speak with multiple friends that are attorneys that said where this could be challenged a judge would probably be annoyed. It's just an observation at this point. Make sure to vet your candidates closely before voting.
"You have to give him credit, between Controller and council he is going to control the county without any objections."
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. I agree Ken Kraft will be another rubber stamp who is in this only for himself. Rowe can wage a write in campaign to get on the ballot as an R. But even if he does, I'll concede that Kraft is the likely winner. But that means nothing bc the current holder of D1, Kevin Lott, is a rubber stamp. So one rubber stamp will be replaced by another.
In D2, Myers had to go. He is an obnoxious bully, observably stupid and lazy. When he undermined the authority of the Sheriff by saying that if he were a deputy, he'd refuse to follow orders bc it would put his life in jeopardy. That was an outrageous statement and completely unjustified. He never apologized, privately or publicly. He did this before we knew about his tweetscapades. So as a matter of good government he should go. So should the Council members who voted to make him President bc they put partisanship over good government. I have no idea whether Keegan will be a rubber stamp. That remains to be seen. But even iof she is, she'll have a bit more on the ball than Myers. The GOP failed to field a D2 candidate, which was a mistake from the party of No.
In D3, I think it likely Jeff Warren would be another rubber stamp. That question can be answered during the campaign. There is a GOP alternative. I know nothing about him at this time. But if he is a moderate R, I will support him over Warren. And that is my district. The current occupant of this office is Cusick, who is not a rubber stamp. I'd like that check and balance on exec power to remain in place.
In the Controller's race, I frankly think Zrinski will lose to Cusick.
Rowe is a completely over the hill Trumpian and a Steve Lynch Goon. His half a double was covered with so much trump flags/stuff that it was an embarrassment to any sane Republicans driving bye. I was embarrassed driving by and I’m a lifelong R
ReplyDeleteBrother Steve has apostles and disciples not goons, you should identify yourself so he can educate you Mano y Mano
Delete"Rowe is a completely over the hill Trumpian and a Steve Lynch Goon. His half a double was covered with so much trump flags/stuff that it was an embarrassment to any sane Republicans driving bye. I was embarrassed driving by and I’m a lifelong R"
ReplyDeleteThere are two Rowes, and you have them mixed up.
Houses don’t lie it was his house and he is on FB with pictures of him and Niki Haley
DeleteYou're incorrect. His father has the same name lol.
Delete9:57, 10:12, 10:14, and 10:40 since it's clear you are the same person writing all 4 times. I'm not quite sure what you're alluding to since I don't know any of these candidates. All you've done is reiterate what I said, do your research, and know your candidates. Seems like you know the person well and have made your decision. I on the other hand have 2 months to do my own research and decide for myself.
ReplyDelete@Bernie 9:34 - Thank Goodness!! I am a Democrat but Zrinski is as bad as they come. I don't know how she has made it this far. If she wins I may have to go Republican and call foul.
It is improper for a place of worship to endorse a political candidate. However, I don't think lay members of a church asking people to sign a nominating petition at a church event is improper.
ReplyDelete" ... and I’m a lifelong R"
ReplyDeleteSure, Jan.
"Houses don’t lie it was his house and he is on FB with pictures of him and Niki Haley"
ReplyDeleteThe Bill Rowe I see is heavily involved in The Elevate Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing education and basic human needs. Yeah, he has a picture with Nikki Haley. That does not make him a fascist and she is running against Trump. Hardly an extremist. There is another Rowe who is an bit off the deep end.
The Ken Kraft I see is heavily involved in a nonprofit dedicated to himself and his scuba diving hobby.
"He is an obnoxious bully, observably stupid and lazy."
ReplyDeleteAny oner of those would eliminate just about everyone in all government. Obnoxious bully is a job requirement to run the county.
Best otter shot ever. Outstanding.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the challenges in Lehigh County? Heard there was a Lehigh County Commissioners challenge and in Whitehall, Marxs allegedly had someone challenge Koren in the race for Mayor.
ReplyDelete"What are the challenges in Lehigh County?"
ReplyDeleteSorry, I only have the time to cover NorCo challenges.
What??? Isn't this Lehigh Valley Ramblings? LV includes both counties. Maybe you should change the name to Northampton County Ramblings. LOL
DeleteThe debate everyone in the county wants to see is the Zirinslki and the other math guy dem candidate. Barron has been coaching her on controller like words so she may actually know some of the terms.
ReplyDeleteI probably should but stray into LC at times. I definitely focus on Noro.
ReplyDeleteKeegan's challenge was successful and Myers is off the ballot.
ReplyDeleteYes. Myers was booted. Will have a story tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteRowe off the ballot
ReplyDeleteThe insider Dems booted the only African American officeholder with your help. Andrew Stevens would be proud!
ReplyDelete"Rowe off the ballot"
ReplyDeleteThat I do not know. Judge Reibman was concerned that the Republican who challenged Rowe failed to appear.
LOL!! They had Rowe dead to rights.
ReplyDeleteTypical democrats… they’d fuck up a wet dream.
Otter appeared for the challenger, that is allowed by the law, right bernie?
ReplyDeleteLarry Otter appeared as a lawyer for the challenger, but the challenger was a no-show and did not sign the verification. Judge Reibman appears to be concerned that the challenger should have been there.
ReplyDeleteThe "republican" probably didn't want to be questioned in front of a judge over which McClure lackey got him to go after Rowe. By the way, why haven't you identified him as you duid the others?
ReplyDeleteI did identify the Republican, Steve Topp. You should learn how to read.
ReplyDelete