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By Alex Roarty
PoliticsPA Staff Writer
roarty@politicspa.com

Mark Critz was chosen Monday as the Democratic special election nominee to replace John Murtha‘s because of support from local party officials and experience he brings as a former top aide to the congressman, more than 10 of the state party Executive Committee members told PoliticsPA in interviews after the vote was unveiled.

The members also revealed a high-profile Critz surrogate — former Lieutenant Governor Mark Singel — played a key role persuading some of them to support Murtha‘s district director. And although most emphasized they liked and respected Critz‘s chief opposition, former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer, a few voters said the well-known public figure had rubbed them the wrong way during the last weeks and days of campaigning.

The 50-member Executive Committee, comprising Democrats from across the state, made its decision Monday afternoon, two days after local Democrats in the 12th District had voted to recommend Critz as the nominee. He will be placed on the May 18 special election ballot opposite either Republican Tim Burns or Bill Russell, depending on which wins the GOP nomination Thursday.

Critz won the Executive Committee selection with 30 votes to Hafer’s 18.

Although the local recommendation traditionally carries significant weight, the committee was free to choose whichever candidate it wanted, prompting Hafer allies to make a last-ditch effort campaigning to members on her behalf.

But their attempt came up short, with many members pegging Critz‘s receipt of the recommendation as one of the most important reasons they voted for him.

“Whenever there’s a vacancy, I’ve always tried to go with what local parties recommend,” said John Saylor, of Bellefonte. “In this case, he received 55 percent of the vote.”

Saylor‘s comment was reflective of the sentiment shared by most interviewed, many of whom also said endorsements he received from Murtha‘s widow, Joyce, and Singel were critical.

The local recommendation was particularly important, many committee members said, because they simply didn‘t know much about the candidates vying for the nomination, including Hafer. In the absence of a strong opinion, some of them said they just deferred to the local favorite.

Other Executive Committee members pointed to his experience as a top Murtha aide as perhaps primary reason they supported him. The continuity and knowledge he would bring to a congressional office that spans nine counties and works with an array of defense contractors was critical to his candidacy, some of them said.

“I’ve been in politics long enough to know staff are the one who have contact with local officials, maybe even more than the elected officials,” said Jessie Bloom, of Williamsport.

Hafer and her allies tried to submarine Critz‘s candidacy by calling the local recommendation process unfair while saying his ties to Murtha are a weakness if he carries the congressman’s ethical baggage. But neither of those arguments seemed to impress committee members, and some said they hadn‘t even heard about the alleged problems.

In fact, the criticism encouraged Bloom, who spoke about it with Hafer on Monday, to support Critz.

“I think it took away from her integrity to do that,” she said. “So that did not enter into my vote.”

The state committee members interviewed described a chaotic scene as the campaigns and the candidates tried to solicit them for support the last few days. Many of them said they either weren‘t contacted by the campaigns or missed messages they left. Adding to the confusion Monday was the fact that many of the voters, ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, were walking door-to-door helping candidates earn enough signatures for the primary ballot.

The difference in personal outreach helped persuade Diane Bowman of Harrisburg to support Critz, whom she spoke to on the phone, over Hafer, whom Bowman said she did not speak with.

“He was the only one I (talked to),” Bowman said. “I asked him a lot of questions, and I was very pleased with his responses.”

Critz‘s campaign also appeared to have had the advantage of a supporter with deep ties to many of the committee members. Four of those interviewed — Saylor, Bloom, Chris Musti of Scranton, and James Spang of Allentown — pointed to discussions they had with former Lieutenant Governor Singel as a helpful bump in the direction of Critz.

Other members had different reasons for supporting Critz. Louis Farinella of Philadelphia said he supported him because his local party leader, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, supported Joyce Murtha, who endorsed Critz.

Musti, a longtime Scranton party official, said he wouldn‘t support Hafer because he was still angry about something she called former Governor Bob Casey Sr. when the two squared off in the 1990 gubernatorial race.

Musti said Hafer, who at the time was a Republican, called his friend Casey a “redneck Irishman from Scranton.”

“Now, I’m not Irish, but I know some close friends who are, and I didn‘t like what she said,” Musti said.

Other Critz backers interviewed for this article include Matthew Smith of Philadelphia, Shirley Curry of Jenkintown, and Charles Vizzini of Ebensburg.

Despite not securing the nomination, Hafer is likely to continue her campaign by running in the primary, also set for May 18. Hafer supporters interviewed for this story echoed other previously expressed concerns about Critz, criticisms that will likely resurface in the months ahead.

Edward Scurry of Franklin called Critz an “unknown,” even in his own District.

“I just think Hafer has a better chance of winning,” Scurry said.

Darling Hoopes, of Wyomissing, said Critz‘s anti-abortion-rights stance didn‘t coincide with Democratic values.

Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr. and former Naval officer Ryan Bucchianeri have also indicated they will seek the party’s nomination.

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