Democratic voters want two state Senate and two state House candidates in Northeast Pennsylvania thrown off the primary election ballots.
A Republican voter wants one of that party’s state House candidates removed, too.
The voters filed challenges to the ballot status of the five candidates by the deadline Tuesday.
The challenged candidacies
The candidates they want removed from the May 19 primary ballot are:
- State Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Lackawanna, seeking a second full four-year term representing the 22nd Senate District, which includes parts of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
- Jeffrey Lake, a Clarks Summit resident running against Flynn for the Democratic nomination.
- State Rep. Maureen Madden, D-Monroe, seeking a sixth two-year term representing the 115th House District, which covers part of Monroe County.
- Anna Lopez, a Coolbaugh Twp. resident challenging Madden for the Democratic nomination.
- Bill Jones, a Dorrance Twp. resident challenging state Rep. Jamie Walsh for the Republican nomination in the 117th House District, which covers part of southern Luzerne County.
The Flynn, Lake challenges
Lake himself and Lawrence S. Sparano challenged Flynn’s nominating petitions. Sparano is the husband of Sharon Soltis Sparano, who is unopposed for the Republican nomination to the same Senate seat.
Candidates must gather voter signatures on nominating petitions to become eligible for placement of their names on election ballots.
In his challenge, Lake argues Flynn left the “voting precinct name” line blank on his candidate affidavit. Candidates sign the affidavits to confirm they can legally seek an elected office.
A hearing on Lake’s challenge is scheduled for March 25 at 11 a.m. before a Commonwealth Court judge.
Sparano’s challenge alleges Flynn did not submit at least 500 valid signatures as required by state law.
Flynn submitted petitions with 1,384 signatures, but 1,075 are invalid because they do not comply with the state election law, the challenge alleges.
For example, many petitions have “illegible or otherwise invalid (petition) circulators, accounting for 646 signature lines. Other signatures are defective for other reasons," the challenge alleges. Circulators are people who gather signatures on the petitions.
Lawrence “Larry” Wynne, a Flynn political ally, challenged Lake’s petition. His challenge says Lake filed 758 putatively valid signatures, but no more than 440 are valid.
The challenge says signatures are invalid for reasons that include a signer isn’t registered to vote or isn’t registered in the district, a signer provided an address different than on voter registration data, a signer signed two petitions, a signer’s name is illegible, a petition was copied or altered into one page and a circulator wasn’t a Democrat.
The Madden, Lopez challenges
Monroe County Democratic Party Chairperson Tameko Patterson and Alfred Johnson challenged Lopez’s petition, arguing she did not obtain the necessary 300 valid signatures.
They contend Lopez submitted 512 putatively valid signatures, but only 232 are valid.
Many are allegedly invalid for reasons similar to the challenged Lake petitions.
They also say Lopez filed a false financial interest statement. They say she claims she’s a “business analyst” but there’s no record she ever held that job.
They point to her LinkedIn page that lists her as a college student and a former job placement executive. If she was a business analyst, Lopez didn’t disclose her income for that “as she claimed to have no material income at all.”
In her challenge to Madden’s petition, Lopez contends her opponent filed 429 signatures, but 250 are invalid, putting her well below the necessary 300.
The signatures are challenged for reasons that include a signer isn’t registered to vote or isn’t registered in the district or as a Democrat, a signature line is illegible, or part of a signature line wasn’t written by a signer.
No hearing was scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Jones challenge
In the challenge to Jones’ petitions, Republican Leann Busch says Jones left the candidate affidavit voting precinct line blank.
A hearing on Busch’s challenge is scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m., also before a Commonwealth Court judge.
