After anger over Petrella selection, state party moves to change rules

The state Democratic Party moved Saturday to change how it picks replacement candidates, nearly a month after Jason Petrella's selection in the 47th Senatorial District left some local and state officials outraged over a process they deemed unfair.

The Rules and Order of Business Business Committee, in conjunction with the state Executive Committee, voted Saturday to develop rules for selecting candidates if one picked by voters bows out of the campaign, according to rules committee co-chairman Jack Hanna.

The process in place now does not instruct the party how to make the selection if the 50-member Executive Committee, comprising party members across the state who make the final decision, receives different endorsements from county parties within the district. That flaw was exposed in early August after state Senate candidate Sean Ramaley had to step down from his campaign in the 47th Senatorial District following his indictment in "Bonusgate."

The ensuing scramble within the district, which includes parts of Beaver, Lawrence and Allegheny counties, led to two endorsed candidates, former Senate candidate Jason Petrella in Lawrence and Beaver County Commissioner Joe Spanik in Beaver. To further confuse matters, a third pick, former Gov. Bob Casey (D) Press Secretary Bob Grotevant, received the local union endorsement.

Although the split decision led the committee to consider each, Beaver County members argued their vote should have counted more because the majority of the district lies within their county. Their wishes were unmet -- the committee selected Petrella. His selection sparked outrage, particularly with Beaver County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Sisk.

Hanna, who said the situation with Ramaley was very uncommon, told PolitickerPA.com the existing process, or lack thereof, did not allow for "one member, one vote." People had some "very good reasons" for being upset, he said.

"To have it be disproportionate ... for one county over another, or vice versa, that strikes many people as not being fair, and I think rightfully so," said Hanna, who is also head of the nine-county southwest caucus. 

He added that he's heard complaints mostly from Beaver County residents, including Spanik and Grotevant, but also from party members across the state.

The next state committee meeting is planned for January, but Hanna said he doesn't expect his committee's changes to be considered before the full body until June.

"We want to develop a procedure that minimizes any kind of confusion about how the process is done, and establishes a minimum amount of action to be taken, information to be disseminated," he said. "(We need) to establish criteria when multiple counties are represented."