Anyone that can "Post Up" on "Wilt the Stilt" can take on "Baghdad" Jim Murtha.
Oh, not that Bill Russell. Never mind. ;)
Posted on 04/29/2008 11:43:40 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Murtha rival wins GOP nod as write-in
By SANDRA K. REABUCK
The Tribune-Democrat
EBENSBURG— U.S. Rep. John Murtha will have a Republican challenger on the November ballot after all.
William Russell of Johnstown received enough votes in Cambria County alone to win the GOP nomination for the 12th Congressional District, an official tally shows. There’s no indication that Murtha, a Johnstown Democrat, got enough GOP write-ins in the sprawling district to top what Russell received here.
In Cambria’s official tabulation, Russell’s write-ins totaled 1,489 under various spellings of his name, including 1,256 with the correct spelling.
Cambria wrapped up its tabulation about 1:30 a.m. Saturday after a 16-hour day that started Friday morning. Murtha received only 93 write-ins under various spellings of his name on Cambria’s GOP ballot.
His campaign committee had notified election offices in his district of a write-in campaign for the Republican nomination.
A person staging a write-in campaign for Congress needs at least 1,000 votes to win a party’s nomination, said Fred Smith, Cambria election supervisor.
Results in the other counties in the district still are being tabulated, including Somerset County, where the 12th district covers the northern sector.
All of Greene County and parts of eight other counties, including Cambria and Somerset, are in the sprawling district.
Tina Pritts, Somerset County election director, said Somerset’s official tabulation should be completed by Thursday.
Smith said there were no changes in the outcome of any races, although the official totals changed with absentee ballot tallies now included.
SNIP
Russell, who moved to Johnstown from Washington, D.C., to run against Murtha, had attempted to get onto the primary ballot, but a state judge ruled that his nomination petitions did not contain enough valid signatures.
On Tuesday, Russell said he believes he’ll end up with 3,500 to 5,000 write-ins from all of the counties.
Under state law, counties are to have their official tallies in to the state by May 12 – 20 days after the primary.
“I want to thank all the people who worked to make this happen and to those who voted for me,” he said.
To get the 1,489 votes in Cambria alone was a good omen for his campaign in the fall, Russell said.
“People tell me that it was quite significant to get that many write-ins,” he said.
The Murtha campaign did not return an e-mail request for comment.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.
It's beginning to look like a Rock and Roll Time Ping!
God bless Russell, good luck, etc...but will the people of that district vote against all the pork that Murtha brings in? History says no.
It’s also a very Democratic leaning Congressional district, and Republican Diana Irey didn’t win it the last time, despite all of her efforts there in ‘06.
Do they really count the write in votes that had the candidate's name spelled incorrectly?
Yep. I sent her a donation (even though I live nowhere near that district), I thought she ran a good campaign...and she got blown out.
It’s a start, and everybody wants change? Why not.
Anyone that can "Post Up" on "Wilt the Stilt" can take on "Baghdad" Jim Murtha.
Oh, not that Bill Russell. Never mind. ;)
Because the sheeple are stupid and want pork and socialism (bread and circuses). Murtha vs. Irey = LBJ vs. Goldwater.
The presidential race was close in the district. But there is zero chance the king of pork will lose.
Looks like one of the Biggest Dim Traitors won’t be sitting in Congress next year.
That is very optimistic.
As for me, I do not think Russell has as good of odds as you suggest.
LOL.
Does his campaign have a place to send funds to. This is about the only candidate running this year that I’ll give money to.
Just takes enough FReepers in the area to watch Diamond Danny and make sure very pointed comments about his behavior continually appear in the local press. If it is pointed out that the locals are laughed at by the rest of the country for electing this asshat, change could occur.
It has to be pointed out to the locals that a lot of the pork benefits Danny and Friends not always the local economy.
Bill Russell could eat Wilt for supper any night of the week.
While I know what you mean, I’m not laughing at the people of this district. I scorn and despise them. Which is a shame- I’ve always admired Pennsylvanians...salt of the earth. These folks sold their souls to the devil.
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