Posted on 6,Mar |
Posted by erin UPDATE (3:00pm 3/6/12): Allegheny County Democratic Committee Chair, Nancy Patton Mills, clarified the endorsement process at a meeting with candidates today:
Committee members in the 22nd district will vote Wednesday, March 7th, on an endorsement for the Special Election in the 22nd District. However, the endorsement will not be the official nomination, nor a recommendation to the state party.
Three eligible names–Erin and her two opponents–will be sent to the PA State Democratic Executive Board (50 members from around the state) for a separate vote. The Executive Committee of the PA State Democratic Committee will formally make the official nomination of Democratic candidate to appear on the Special Election ballot. (Only one Democrat and one Republican will be on this ballot to fill the remainder of the term).
(Original post below the fold)
___________________________________________
For Immediate Release: 5 March 2012
Contact: Justin Wasser, Campaign Manager
Molchany Seeks Special Election Nomination
Asks for Clarification of Nominating Process
Pittsburgh– Last week, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ordered the Speaker of the House to call six special elections around the state. One of those six special elections will be held in the 22nd district to fill the seat vacated by Chelsa Wagner on January 16th of this year.
Last Thursday, candidates for the April 24th Democratic Primary in Pennsylvania’s 22nd State House District were notified by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee that the county committee would be nominating a candidate. Voting by committee members will take place from 6 – 9pm this Wednesday, March 7th, at the Castle Shannon Fire Station. Only one Democratic candidate will be listed on the ballot for the special election to finish the term, while all candidates will appear on the ballot for the primary for a full, two-year term.
Erin Molchany immediately submitted a letter of intent to seek the nomination for the special election.
It is the campaign’s understanding that Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee bylaws charge county committees to make a recommendation, while the responsibility of formally nominating the party’s candidate rests with the state Executive Committee. This guarantees the county recommendation is but one of many factors with which the Executive Committee will make their final nomination.
However, an email from the Allegheny County Democratic Committee seems to indicate a different process. According to the email, “The ACDC and state committee members in the 22nd district are required to nominate a candidate. This nominee will be sent to the PA Democratic Party for approval by their Executive Board.”
Today, Molchany submitted a letter to both Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills and Chairman Jim Burn of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee and Democratic State Committee, respectively, seeking clarification as to the process by which a candidate will be nominated for the special election. The principle question to be answered is the number of names that will be offered to the Executive Committee for consideration.
# # #
