PA-12: Larchuk Withdraws From the Race

LarchukSteve Larchuk is dropping out of the PA-12 Democratic primary.

Larchuk announced this morning that he is withdrawing both his candidacy and his challenge to McClelland’s petitions.

“All that matters is defeating Keith Rothfus in November. This protracted court battle and primary contest have become counterproductive and so I am stepping aside. We do not need a repeat of 2012.”

All staff will be paid through April and all contributors will be refunded.

The move comes as a bit as a shock as Larchuk was leading the fundraising battle and had won some prominent endorsements.

2014 nominee Erin McClelland is now all but guaranteed a rematch with Congressman Keith Rothfus.

The 12th Congressional District covers Beaver County and parts of Allegheny, Cambria, Lawrence, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties.

19 Responses

  1. Eagleswing…weren’t you paying attention? The judge DISMISSED them. They weren’t coming back next week.

  2. The devil is in the details…and in the Dustrict Attorney’s office. Some say that we should vote for the scum just to get rid of him…nah.

  3. “nice try’? i fail to see the point of ‘ the circulators’ subpoenas were dismissed by the judge.’ in fact, the judge had postponed all testimony on the forgeries till next week and these 2 circulators were key. had testimony gone in, there may have been grounds to institute forgery prosecutions. the point is that the 2 circulators thought it necessary to show up, in response to subpoenas, with high priced lawyers in the first place– rather unusual conduct for most subpoenad witnesses.

    and as to whether forged signatures are common on nominating petitions, i’d have to say it is rare that there are so many forgeries that forgeries alone would make it worthwhile to spend time and lawyer fees on an objections petition.

  4. Eagleswing..those circulators were dismissed from their subpoenas by the judge. Nice try though.

  5. eagleswing

    Do these “Dem stalwarts” regularly forge petitions, or just (allegedly) in this case?

    Just asking in case other candidates should avoid them in the future.

  6. “REAL observer”:

    You really think the SP would waste money 1) polling a district like PA-12 during a primary? 2) cut a “deal” with someone to run for another seat when he, according to you and your imaginative poll, can’t secure 10% of the vote for a seat he has been running for for a year and a half?

    Go back to the Loony Bin.

  7. . Larchuk needed only 14 more strikes to get Mc Clelland off the ballot. The 3rd day of hearing would have focused on Larchuk handwriting expert Michelle Dresbold’s testimony supporting explicit allegations of wholesale forgery of elector signatures by 2 of mc Clleland’s circulators. the 2 circulators in question are Dem stalwarts who have circulated many a petition for many a Dem candidate in western PA. (Those 2 circulators had been subpoenaed to appear in the previous days’ court proceedings. interestingly, they each brought private counsel. ) One surmises that had the court ruled that signatures were forged, these 2 circulators could be facing criminal forgery charges. Perhaps the Dem machine thought that it would be wise to stop this case in its tracks before the forgery evidence could be ruled upon. Larchuk prosecuted the objections vigorously; who would have thought he’d dismiss the case when possible victory was at hand.

    With regard to attorney fees– not a snowball’s chance in hell McClelland can get them. Larchuk won challenges to a sufficient number of signatures so that his objections are not ‘ frivolous’– which is the standard for a fees award.

    lastly, Larchuk would be well a advised to file an emergency motion ASAP for leave to withdraw as a candidate to get his name off the ballots. (Withdrawals were due by March 3.) Otherwise his name will be on the ballot. should he win, Mc Clelland would not be able to run against Rothfus. what a bizarre mess.

  8. The REAL Observer-

    Support for a state house run? Do you realize that Larchuk is in Turzai’s district?

  9. The stae party had polling showing he was not going to get 10% on primary day, and offered him an undisclosed deal. Support for a state House run, maybe? Erin comes from a long line of union workers, and Rothfus’ teabaggers will be staying home this year.

  10. A court can remove his name with a simple petition and order.

    Memo to JETHRO BODINE, CAMPAIGN MANGER…protect your candidate, not your ego. Erin is a good kid so don’t get greedy. You might get an investigation instead. I’m not the only person saying …huh?

  11. We’re already past the time period to withdraw though, so he will still be on the ballot.

  12. Zakrey- I don’t know what you believe for, but you’re wrong….if he actually files a withdrawal instead of just talking about it.

  13. That’s what I was thinking, Guy. He’s close to perhaps getting her kicked off the ballot, then all of a sudden he drops out?

  14. L3 Looney Liberal Larchuk exits stage left. Next up is pro-choice, pro Obamacare, anti-coal McClelland. The Democrats are a broken record and congrats to Keith Rothfus.

  15. He should pay McClelland’s legal bills and the cost of wasting the court’s time while he’s at it.

  16. This is very strange. Larchuk was 14 signatures away from knocking McClelland off the ballot (if he was successful in his remaining 200+ challenges).

    I think it’s pretty cool of him to return the money and pay the staff.

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