Luzerne County Democratic Party chairman Thom Shubilla resigned Thursday, a day after the party executive committee almost unanimously voted no confidence in him.
Shubilla posted his resignation on the party Facebook without mentioning the no-confidence vote.
“After careful consideration, I am announcing my resignation effective immediately as chair of the Luzerne County Democratic Party,” Shubilla wrote. “My schedule has grown increasingly demanding, both at work and in my role as commissioner in Plains Township, along with an upcoming book publication, and the time required to lead the party effectively is no longer something I can give in the way it deserves.”
The executive committee met Wednesday evening at Rodano’s in Wilkes-Barre with 28 voting favor of a no confidence resolution and three abstaining, party officials confirmed.
Shubilla took over as chairman after Kathy Bozinski resigned in July 2023. The party's voter registration edge advantage — long in decline and mirroring a statewide decline — disappeared with the county becoming majority Republican last year for the first time in more than 40 years. But the no-confidence vote came as somewhat of a surprise because the party did so well in recent countywide elections.
Four of five Democratic candidates for County Council won, giving the party eight of the council's 11 seats. The party’s candidates for controller and common pleas court judge also won.
The committee named Tony Thomas interim chairman. In a telephone interview, Thomas said several committee members had questioned Shubilla's "decisions and leadership skills" for a while and presented their concerns to the meeting, which led to the no-confidence vote.
Thomas declined to elaborate, but said party vice chair Mary Ann Velez has also submitted her resignation. Shubilla replaced Mary Ann Petyak as vice chair with Velez earlier this year.
In a text exchange, Shubilla, who did not attend the meeting, said he didn't know what happened, but said he "needed to get out." Asked about the questions about his decisions and leadership, he pointed to the party's recent electoral success.
"So I'm pretty happy with the way everything turned out," he said. "I can bad mouth Tony. But I'll be the bigger man."
Thomas said the no-confidence vote triggered a 30-day process that would have allowed Shubilla to respond to allegations made against him. The committee was still drafting that letter when he resigned. Thomas said he does not know if that process ends with the resignation, but said the party will meet within 30 days to choose a permanent chair and vice chair to serve until next June. That's the next time county committeemen and committeewomen meet to elect officers to four-year terms.
In his Facebook post, Shubilla expressed gratitude for being allowed to serve as chairman. He said he achieved his goal of strengthening the party organization, building partnerships and helping "Democrats win again in Luzerne County" and left the party better off than when he took over.
"I believe we have done that and more. Over the past two municipal election cycles, we have worked with candidates, local committees, and outside groups to rebuild the momentum we had lost," he wrote. "Together, we won eight County Council seats, a controller’s race, a judge’s seat, and numerous local offices across the county. Even in a rough presidential election year, we were able to come together to work towards a common goal of electing Democrats, focusing on the issues that matter, and working together. These victories were not the result of luck. They came from hard work, a shared belief in what our Party stands for, and a focused message."
He called Velez "the best vice chair in the world."
In an email to executive committee members, Velez confirmed she's stepping down as vice chair and uninterested in replacing Shubilla. She said it was a pleasure to serve with him.
"After careful consideration, and in light of the direction my future endeavors are carrying me, I find that my path no longer permits the capacity required for these leadership responsibilities," Velez said.
She expressed confidence in Thomas' ability to find a new chair and vice chair.
"I have every confidence that he will guide these decisions with clarity and fairness," she wrote. "May the work ahead be fruitful, and may it carry our county toward a future where every step honors the progress already made."
Thomas, one of the three abstentions on the no-confidence vote, said he won't seek the chairmanship either. He praised Shubilla and Bozinski.
"I do believe that we are in a better place than we were two years ago. Kathy Bozinski did a lot of great work and handed Thom a growing party and he helped guide us through a good 2023 and a strong 2025 on the municipal level," Thomas said in an email. "We have more younger people involved in our party, we have been winning important races. I won't discount the work that he has put into continuing Kathy's efforts ... I absolutely have no ill will towards him and look forward to working with him again in the future. I also look forward to our next executive committee meeting so we can move forward with a new chair and vice chair to build off our success this past election."
