Paisley falls short of signature requirement

Independent candidate Jay Paisley will not be on the ballot in the 47th Senatorial District after collecting 200 fewer signatures than required, the candidate told PolitickerPA.com.

He needed about 1,900 supporters to sign his petition to be placed on the ballot.

"We came close, but no cigar," Paisley said. "If the deadline had been Monday instead of Friday, we would have been in no problem ... but I'm not complaining."

Paisley's loss is Democrats' gain. The former Democratic state House candidate likely would have siphoned votes from left-leaning Beaver County residents, potentially opening the door for Republican candiate Elder Vogel Jr. to win despite long odds.

It's the second piece of good news for Beaver County Democrats in as many days. On Thursday, embattled state Senate candidate Sean Ramaley bowed out of the race, weeks after being charged in the first-round of "Bonusgate" indictments. His voluntary depature will allow Democrats to place a new, scandal-free candidate on the ballot.

Paisley said he does not plan to run a write-in campaign -- he only would have done so if state Democrats threw him off the ballot after challenging the signatures on his petition. Because he did not collect enough signatures in the first place, that possibility has been removed, he said.