A former Democratic Scranton councilman filed paperwork Friday to run for mayor as a third-party candidate to try to unseat incumbent Mayor Paige Cognetti.
Gene Barrett, 77, filed the paperwork as the Barrett for Mayor candidate about an hour before the 4 p.m. deadline.
Barrett, also a former executive director of the Scranton Sewer Authority, became the second of two third-party candidates to file for mayor this week.
Rik Little, 72, who lists himself in nominating papers as homeless, filed Thursday for mayor as the AAAMission from God party candidate.
Barrett and Little will face Cognetti, the Democratic nominee, and accounting executive Trish Beynon, the Republican nominee.
Barrett, who lost a 2001 bid for mayor, said he's a more qualified candidate than Cognetti faced in the primary election when she easily defeated former Scranton School Director Bob Sheridan.
"The issues are where has she been for three years?" Barrett said. "All of a sudden they're painting lines on streets, or she's announcing splash pads. She's doing a blight hotline, or she's doing a pothole hotline. Where were all these quality-of-life issues for the last three years? I mean, this woman has been absent without leave, and spending her time in Washington."
Little, who confirmed he is homeless, said he’s running to regain control of government for “the people” and take it away from “a lawyer class that runs everything in the government and the courts.”
“It used to be a really great city, and I can see clearly how it's just gone down the drain in the last, especially, 40 years,” Little said. “It's not run by the people.”
In an emailed statement, Wendy Wilson, Cognetti's campaign communications director, focused on Barrett, who she said "represents the ghosts of Scranton’s dark past."
"Mayor Paige Cognetti is the city’s bright future," Wilson said. "Thanks to Mayor Paige’s efforts, Scranton is a stronger, more vibrant city — a place where families can thrive, businesses can grow, and every citizen can share in the progress. She has strengthened city finances, cut red tape for businesses, and invested in public safety and our neighborhoods, all while keeping costs down for residents.
"Scranton has come a long way since Gene Barrett has been in office."
Mancini won't run for mayor
Another potential third-party contender who announced a candidacy a few months ago decided against running.
Michael Mancini, 56, said he won’t run because of personal issues and a potential health setback.
“The time’s not right for me,” he said.
Cognetti dominated primary election race
Cognetti, 44, wiped out Sheridan by a 3 to 1 margin to win the Democratic nomination for mayor in the May primary election.
Beynon defeated auto repair shop co-owner Lynn Labrosky to win the Republican nomination.
A longtime Democrat, Barrett planned to run against Cognetti in the primary but figured he couldn’t beat Cognetti with Sheridan also running. He bowed out but switched his voter registration to independent to run.
Barrett had been uncertain about running.
Shortly after the primary, Barrett wasn’t sure he would run for mayor as a third-party candidate and acknowledged Cognetti “won convincingly.”
“It was a low turnout, but at the same time, she convincingly won and did a great job getting her vote out,” he said.
Council race more crowded, too
Also in Scranton, City Council President Gerald Smurl filed to run as a third-party candidate. Smurl withdrew from the Democratic council race in March because of problems with his nominating petitions.
Smurl will face fellow incumbent Councilman Tom Schuster, Scranton School Director Sean McAndrew and Patrick Flynn, Marc Pane and Virgil Argenta in the race for three council seats. Flynn, Schuster and McAndrew are registered Democrats. McAndrew also earned a Republican nomination through write-in votes. Pane was on the ballot and won a Republican nomination. Argenta lost his bid for a Democratic nomination but won a Republican through write-in votes.
Editor's note: Wendy Wilson, the communications director for Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti's campaign, is the spouse of Ben Payavis, chief content officer and executive producer at WVIA Public Media.
