SD-47

Reports of hour-plus waits at the polls are reaching PolitickerPA.com from across the state.

One of those areas is Center Township's 5th Precinct in Beaver County, according to Kyle Mullins, state Senate candidate Jason Petrella's campaign manager. He told PolitickerPA.com in an e-mail that one woman who reported to the polls at 7 a.m. finally voted just after 8 a.m.

He indicated the apparently high turnout is good news for Petrella, who faces Republican Elder Vogel Jr. in one of Pennsylvania's most competitive state Senate races.

"That's what we're hoping for," he said.

A report from the Centre Daily Times says voter turnout in that area is at an unprecedented level. 

"I've never seen anything like this," Jeff Kern, a precinct judge of elections in the State College told the paper.

The paper reported the lines were as long as a hundred people. 

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports similar turnout in western Pennsylvania while The Erie Times-News reports each party is offering rides to voters.

MONACA -- Former Mike Veon foe and Beaver County political fixture Jay Paisley has thrown his support behind Democratic state Senate candidate Jason Petrella in his neck-and-neck race against Republican Elder Vogel Jr.

Paisley, who attended Tuesday night's debate between the two candidates, had originally committed to remaining neutral. But he said a series of attacks against Petrella linking him to the scandal-plagued Beaver County Democratic Party made him "feel obligated" lend his support.

Petrella isn't part of the party machine run by former Minority Whip Veon no matter what Vogel and the State Republican Party say, Paisley told PolitickerPA.com. Petrella was enemy No. 1 to Democrats in the county after running just six months ago against their anointed choice to take the reins in the 47th Senatorial District, state Rep. Sean Ramaley. Petrella lost to the now indicted lawmaker by an unexpectedly close margin.

Paisley's words might carry more weight with voters because of his well-known challenge to Veon in the 2006 Democratic primary. Veon later lost to state Rep. Jim Marshall (R-Beaver County), who Paisley backed in the general election.

Beaver County Democratic Chairman Mike Sisk isn't ready to congratulate his party's state committee after it moved Saturday to change how it picks replacement candidates, nearly a month after its selection of Jason Petrella caused outrage among local Democrats.

"I don't know, we'll see," Sisk told PolitickerPA.com.

The Rules and Order of Business Committee, with the state Executive Committee, voted at the state committee's meeting to develop rules for selecting candidates if one picked by voters bows out of the campaign. The committee does not have any guidelines for picking replacement candidates when local county committees endorsement different people, a flaw exposed this August in the 47th Senatorial District when Sean Ramaley quit his campaign.

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.

State Senate Democrats, eager to narrow the Republican majority, are pegging their hopes on a few open seats.

Republicans currently hold a 29-21 advantage in the chamber, a majority Democrats hope to erase in two years. But for now, the immediate focus is on seats without incumbents.

"We are looking at a couple of open seats, and we're very optimistic about them," state Sen. Connie Williams (D-Montgomery), who is chairing the Democratic State Senate Campaign Committee, told PolitickerPA.com in an interview this week.

Jason Petrella's selection to ballot by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in the 47th Senatorial District on Wednesday has infuriated local Democratic and union leaders, who said the state party unilaterally made a decision while ignoring their recommendation.

The anger runs deep enough that the decision might even endanger the union's endorsement of the Democratic candidate.

As Dennis Bloom, president of Beaver-Lawrence County Central Labor Council, put it, "We gave them our two selections and kind of got slapped."

The two preferred selections Bloom referred to are Bob Grotevant, former spokesman for Gov. Bob Casey (D) who emerged as a last-minute candidate this week, and Beaver County Commissioner Joe Spanik, originally considered the favorite to replace Ramaley.

The state Democratic Party Executive Committee has selected Jason Petrella to replace Sean Ramaley on the ballot in the 47th Senatorial District.

Party spokesman Abe Amoros said received the necessary 26 votes from the 50-member group. 

He beat out Beaver County Commissioner Joe Spanik and former Gov. Robert Casey spokesman Bob Grotevant.

Two weeks ago the Senate Republican Committee convinced Bob Regola to step aside because polling showed him losing badly in his race and he was replaced by Kim Ward.  It appears Republicans are not the only ones who pick their candidates with polling information.

Today the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee will be picking their candidate for PA-47 to replace Sean Ramaley.  Last week Lawrence County supported Jason Petrella and Beaver County has supported County Commissioner Joe Spanik.  With each candidate getting the support of one county the decision was sent to the State Democratic Executive Committee. 

Early word was the Executive Committee was going to strongly support Spanik who has long been active in the party.  Petrella seems to have an advantage though heading into the vote thanks to polling that shows him running stronger in a general election.  According to one source Democratic Senate Leader Bob Mellow is working the phones hard to make sure Petrella is the candidate because of his stronger polling numbers.  While both candidates polled ahead of Republican Elder Vogel, but according to a source Petrella was stronger.  We have had reports that Mellow has been joined by other Senators on the phone, but have yet been unable to confirm.

After the Lawrence County Democratic Committee voted unanimously to support Jason Petrella to replace Sean Ramaley on the ballot as the senate candidate from SD-47, the Beaver County Committee threw a monkey wrench into the system.

Last night the Beaver County Democratic Committee met and overwhelmingly decided to support County Commissioner Joe Spanik over Petrella. 

With the two committees not agreeing on a candidate the decision now goes to the State Committee’s Executive Committee.  One western Executive Committee member told Inside Edge on background they believed Spanik had the inside track.  “Joe has been an active party member for years and has earned our support.  I fully believe and expect he will be the nominee after we vote.”

The state committee vote is planned for next Wednesday.  Until then both candidates will be burning up the phone lines dialing for support.

The Beaver County Democratic Committee executive board might decide Thursday night whether Jason Petrella will be its candidate in the 47th Senatorial District.

Chances look better for Petrella after unanimously receiving the support of the Lawrence County Democratic Committee executive board, according to The Beaver County Times. 

Petrella is trying to replace state Rep. Sean Ramaley (D-Beaver County), who was forced to step down from his campaign after being charged in July of misusing taxpayer money as part of "Bonusgate."

Although the county committee's by-laws prohibit challenges against endorsed candidates, which Petrella did when he faced Ramaley in the primary this spring, the county party chairman has indicated Petrella should run.