Eugene DePasquale

As of tomorrow, Eugene DePasquale will be Pa. Auditor General and a former state Rep. After he takes the oath of office, here are the men and women who will help him become the state’s fiscal watchdog.

He’s bringing along some familiar names from the campaign world and more.

“This team’s diverse background will ensure we will be ready on day-one to make sure tax dollars are spent wisely and state programs are operating efficiently and effectively,” DePasquale said in a statement.

Here are the names, title and bios from the DePasquale press release.

Suzanne Itzko, Chief of Staff

Itzko has more than 15 years experience guiding public policy and working on economic development projects in the public and private sectors.

As deputy secretary of administration at PennDOT, Itzko developed and implemented management policies for 12,000 employees and helped oversee the agency’s $7 billion budget.

Before joining PennDOT, Itzko was a special assistant to Gov. Ed Rendell where she oversaw the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), managed the Public Improvement Program for commonwealth-owned facilities, and worked closely with the governor’s budget office and other state agencies to develop a five-year capital budget plan.

Previously, Itzko was policy director for Gov. Ed Rendell’s gubernatorial campaign in 2002 and served as special assistant focused on economic development implementation during Rendell’s tenure as mayor of Philadelphia.

Itzko earned a degree in business administration – business economics and public policy from The George Washington University (B.A. 1994) and a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania (M.A.  1997). She is a native of Philadelphia, but has lived in Harrisburg for more than 10 years.

Kathy Boockvar, Chief Counsel

Boockvar spent the past two decades as an attorney and a mediator in both the non-profit and private sectors, helping Pennsylvanians protect their jobs, Social Security, pensions, and families. Additionally, she was senior attorney with Advancement Project, founding partner of the law firm Boockvar and Yeager, and a staff attorney with North Penn Legal Services.

She serves on the board of directors of A Woman’s Place, a domestic violence organization that provides support for victims of abuse, their families, and the community.

Boockvar is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.A. 1990) and the American University, Washington College of Law (J.D. 1993). She lives in Bucks County with her husband, their 14-year-old daughter, and their dog.

Liz Gerloff Wagenseller, Deputy Auditor General for External Affairs

Wagenseller has 12 years experience designing and implementing political and communications strategy. Most recently, she served as campaign manager for Eugene DePasquale’s campaign for auditor general. She previously worked at two of the premier public opinion research firms in Washington, DC — Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Peter D. Hart Research Associates.

Wagenseller conducted public opinion research and devised strategies to help non-profit organizations, unions, political campaigns, corporations, and advocacy groups achieve their mission. Wagenseller earned a degree in economics from the College of William and Mary (B.A.  2000). Originally from South Dakota, she grew up in Mount Vernon, VA, and currently lives in Lancaster County.

John Lori, Deputy Auditor General for Audits

Lori has more than 30 years of experience in accounting, finance, auditing and taxes serving as controller, CFO, and COO to private companies. Most recently, he co-founded WFG Capital Advisors, a regional merger and acquisitions firm and was the COO/CFO during the start-up of The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

In the public sector, Lori served as deputy secretary of business assistance at the Department of Community and Economic Development under Secretary Dennis Yablonsky where he helped with financing issues related to economic development.

He is a graduate of Harrisburg Area Community College with a degree in business (A.S. 1971) and Elizabethtown College with a degree in accounting (B.S. 1973).

Barry Ciccocioppo, Communications Director/Press Secretary

Ciccocioppo has more than 20 years of communications experience in the public and private sectors including serving as a journalist in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and for the Harrisburg Patriot-News. Most recently he was communications director for the Democratic House Appropriations Committee. He previously served as deputy director of communications for Gov. Ed Rendell and as press secretary for the Department of Labor & Industry. Prior to joining state government, Ciccocioppo managed communications for the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association and a Harrisburg-based public relations, marketing and advertising firm.

Ciccocioppo graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College (A.A. 1989), earned a degree in journalism from Shippensburg University (B.A. 1991), and completed training at the Defense Information School (1988). He is a lifelong resident of central Pennsylvania.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille has announced that he plans on running for retention in November. He will be joining fellow justice Max Baer on the ballot this fall.

Had Castille chosen to forgo running for retention this year, there would have been an election for his seat on bench. Instead, voters will see his name on the general election ballot and vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on whether to keep him. Castille was elected in 1993 and retained in 2003.

His decision to seek retention is interesting because he will reach Pa.’s mandatory judicial retirement age of 70 in 2014. If retained, he will be forced to step down next year, allowing the Governor to nominate a replacement.

The constitutionality of the mandatory retirement age is being challenged in federal court by a group of Pa. jurists, and Castille has said he’s hoping for a favorable outcome in that case.

Since retention was introduced in Pa. in 1968 only one Supreme Court justice (Democrat Russell M. Nigro in 2005) has tried and failed to win another term.

When asked why he was running for retention in an interview with WHYY Newsworks, Castille responded that he believes his 19 years of experience on the Supreme bench are helpful in efficiently moving cases through court system as it works to cover the caseloads of seven justices with only six currently serving.

Orie Melvin

The seventh justice – Republican Joan Orie Melvin – is currently suspended from the court without pay pending trial for theft of services and conspiracy, among other charges. Her absence leaves the court equally split between three Republicans and three Democrats. Melvin asked her Supreme Court colleagues to throw out the case, but they declined.

The Pa. Constitution says that the Governor makes an appointment to fill any vacancy on the court that occurs within 10 months of an election. Since it’s already within 10 months of the Nov. 5, 2013 election, if Orie Melvin is convicted, Gov. Corbett will name her replacement pending a two-thirds vote by the Pa. Senate. The seat would go back to the voters in 2015.

Keegan Gibson contributed to this report.

Kathleen Kane

Kathleen Kane today named the top staffers who will help her manage the office of Attorney General. Several familiar names dot the list.

The first Democrat ever elected to the post, Kane’s first term will bring as much change to the office as it has likely ever seen.

Her first deputy will be Adrian King, an alum of the Rendell administration.

“I handpicked a team that brings a wealth of experiences, expertise, talent and knowledge that will be instrumental in fighting for justice for every Pennsylvanian,” Kane said.

Here is the list, from her press release:

First Deputy Attorney General

Adrian R. King, Jr. will serve as First Deputy Attorney General.  Most recently, Mr. King was a partner at Ballard Spahr, LLP where he was a member of the Business and Finance Department and Co-Chair of both the Government and Regulatory Affairs and P3/Infrastructure Practice Groups.

Mr. King has previously held significant positions in Pennsylvania state government. In February 2005, he was appointed to Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Cabinet, serving as Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

During the years 2003 and 2004, Mr. King served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Rendell. In this position, he oversaw the Commonwealth’s public safety and homeland security functions with respect to both operations and policy, and served as the Governor’s day-to-day and emergency point of contact for the Pennsylvania State Police, Office of Homeland Security, State Fire Commissioner, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (including the Pennsylvania National Guard), Department of Corrections, Emergency Management Agency and Board of Probation and Parole.

Mr. King was also the chairman of the Pennsylvania Justice Network (JNET), an integrated criminal justice information network that enables 39 state departments and agencies, 266 county government and municipal police department users, and 17 federal agencies to share and access instantaneously key criminal justice data, including fingerprints, mug shots, driver’s license photos and arrest warrant information.

Mr. King has served on a variety of public safety related committees, including Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter’s Emergency Services Transition Committee (Co-Chairman, 2007), the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Security Committee (formed in 2007 following the Virginia Tech mass shooting), New Jersey Governor John Corzine’s Homeland Security and Public Safety Transition Policy Group (2006) and Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street’s Task Force on Police Discipline (Counsel, 2001).

Mr. King earned a B.A. from Columbia University and J.D., cum laude, from the Temple University School of Law.  He also holds a Certificate in Crisis Management from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Senior Executive Deputy Attorney General

Linda Dale Hoffa will serve as Senior Executive Deputy Attorney General. Ms. Hoffa most recently served as Executive Deputy General Counsel in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of General Counsel where she was responsible for supervising criminal legal issues for all Commonwealth agencies and their counsel.  She also served as the Office of General Counsel’s principal contact with law enforcement agencies and as counsel to the Board of Pardons.

From 2009 to 2011, Ms. Hoffa served Chairman Arlen Specter (D-PA) as Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime & Drugs where she was responsible for preparing Senate hearings, briefing on criminal issues and drafting criminal legislation.

For 25 years (1984-2009), Ms. Hoffa enjoyed a distinguished career in the United States Attorney’s Office, United States Department of Justice (Philadelphia) where she tried numerous cases, both violent crime and complex white collar offenses.  Among other assignments, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division where she oversaw the work of 100 federal prosecutors and supervised all criminal investigations, trials, forfeiture proceedings and appeals.  She developed strategies to combat crime trends and enhance law enforcement cooperation, and implemented one of the first federal court re-entry programs that successfully reduced the recidivism rate for high risk offenders.

Ms. Hoffa also served as a Member and Chair of the Department of Justice Criminal Chiefs Working Group, which develops and implements national policies and programs on a wide-range of issues, including discovery practices, legislation, enforcement initiatives and crime prevention.

Ms. Hoffa served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Dickinson R. Debevoise, United State District Court for the District of New Jersey.  She earned a B.A., magna cum laude, from Rutgers College and a J.D. from the Rutgers University School of Law.

Senior Counsel to the Attorney General

Bruce R. Beemer will serve as Senior Counsel to the Attorney General. Mr. Beemer most recently served as Chief of Staff to Attorney General Linda L. Kelly and has also led the prosecution of certain significant criminal matters.

For 14 years Mr. Beemer served in the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office where he distinguished himself as one of the top trial lawyers in the office.  He held a variety of positions in specialized trial units for narcotics, crimes against persons and homicide.  He has personally tried over 100 cases to jury verdict, including high profile homicides and serious felony cases.

Mr. Beemer has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh, where he taught trial advocacy for the criminal lawyer.  He earned a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Scranton and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Executive Deputy Attorney General for Public Protection (Acting)

James A. Donahue, III will serve as Executive Deputy Attorney General for Public Protection (Acting).  Mr. Donahue joined the Attorney General’s office in 1985 and was promoted to his most recent position as Chief of the Antitrust Section in 1997 where he was responsible for all aspects of antitrust case development and prosecution.

Mr. Donahue has testified in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on antitrust, business rights and competition issues, and he has appeared in front of several state legislatures on antitrust issues.  He worked as the lead attorney during a 14-month multistate investigation of the United Airlines/US Airways merger, which resulted in the termination of the merger.  He also coordinated the prosecution and settlement of competition claims involving the merger of the two largest local telephone companies in the Commonwealth.

In 2009, Mr. Donahue was named Chairman of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Multistate Antitrust Task Force, which coordinates multistate antitrust cases and advocates competition before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. The Task Force is comprised of the antitrust sections from each state’s Attorney General’s office and works in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

Mr. Donahue earned a B.A in journalism and government from Lehigh University. After working as a newspaper reporter for a year, he earned a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law.

Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Law

Lawrence M. Cherba will serve as Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Law. Most recently Mr. Cherba served as Senior Deputy Attorney General, Drug Strike Force Section, Drug Diversion Unit, where he prosecuted violations of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act and Corrupt Organizations Act through the use of the Statewide Investigating Grand Jury and the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act.

Mr. Cherba serves as Legal Advisor to the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PENNscript).  He has also served as an instructor to law enforcement agencies on a variety of topics, including search and seizure, use of force, electronic surveillance and dealing with mentally ill persons.

Mr. Cherba received his B.S., magna cum laude, from Wilmington University of Delaware and his J.D. from the Temple University School of Law

Executive Deputy Attorney General for Civil Law

Susan J. Forney will continue to serve as Executive Deputy Attorney General for the Civil Law Division.  Ms. Forney joined the Attorney General’s office in 1978 as a staff attorney in the Litigation Section where she handled numerous cases involving constitutional challenges to state statutes, programs and enforcement actions, in both state and federal courts.  She served as Chief of the Litigation Section from 1998 to 2010, after which she was promoted to her current position.

Ms. Forney has served on several committees for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, including the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee, the Lawyers Advisory Committee and the Task Force to Study the Civil Jury Trial. Ms. Forney earned a B.A. in history from the Pennsylvania State University and her J.D. from the Cornell Law School.

Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations

Kevin L. Wevodau will serve as Special Agent in Charge the Bureau of Criminal Investigations.  Mr. Wevodau most recently served as Senior Supervisory Resident Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Scranton Resident Agency, Philadelphia Division.

Mr. Wevodau’s law enforcement career began 34 years ago when he was hired as a Patrolman for the Susquehanna Township Police Department.  He has also served as an Investigator for the Office of Attorney General, Bureau of  Narcotics Investigation.  He commenced his service with the FBI in 1984 as a Special Agent and has held several additional positions with the FBI, including case agent in the Louisville Division for a RICO prosecution and conviction of 20 members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and service in the Special Operations Branch in the New York Division.

Mr. Wevodau has been recognized by both the Monroe County Drug Task Force and the ATF for successful multiagency drug and gang investigations.   He supervised the investigations and prosecutions of several high profile public corruption cases, including the Luzerne County “Kids-for-Cash” scandal and certain matters involving former State Senator Robert Mellow.

Mr. Wevodau received his B.S. from Pennsylvania State University (Harrisburg) and an associate’s degree in Police Administration from Harrisburg Area Community College.

Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation & Drug Control

Jonathan A. Duecker will serve as Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation & Drug Control.  Mr. Duecker most recently served as Senior Counterterrorism Advisor to the Committee on Homeland Security, 112th Congress, United States House of Representatives, where he was responsible for providing advice and counsel to the Committee and its Chairman (The Honorable Peter T. King (R-NY)), on a broad range of domestic homeland security, counterterrorism, intelligence, military affairs, civilian law enforcement (including narcotics and counterdrug matters), crisis response, and emergency management issues.

Prior to his Congressional Appointment, Mr. Duecker served in a variety of law enforcement and national security positions including: (i) Assistant Commissioner for Counterterrorism, New York City Police Department, (ii) Director, Office of Homeland Security, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, (iii) Counterterrorism Intelligence Analyst, United States Navy / Defense Intelligence Agency, and (iv) Special Agent, United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, where he was assigned to the Philadelphia Field Division.  Mr. Duecker is a former Naval Aviator, having served as an Electronic Warfare Officer on carrier-based EA-6B Prowler aircraft.  He earned his B.S. from the United States Naval Academy and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin.

Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Investigative Services

Lieutenant David C. Peifer will serve as Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Investigative Services.  Lieutenant Peifer is the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children (“ICAC”) Task Force Commander and is responsible for conducting undercover online investigations, responding to complaints regarding children sexually exploited via the Internet, conducting community education programs and monitoring of the Internet for bartering in child pornography. He has been a law enforcement officer for 34 years and the supervisor of the Delaware County District Attorney’s Criminal Investigation Division’s Child Abuse Unit for 13 years. During this time he has investigated hundreds of incidents of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, and child pornography. Lieutenant Peifer attended West Chester University and is a graduate of the 174th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Director of Legislative Affairs

David D. Tyler will serve as Director of Legislative Affairs.  Mr. Tyler most recently served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as Executive Director of the Judiciary Committee, which maintains oversight of all aspects of the criminal and civil justice system and related Commonwealth agencies and organizations.  Mr. Tyler has extensive experience in drafting legislation and working in a bipartisan and bicameral manner to achieve important public safety objectives. A former United States Marine, Mr. Tyler earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Central Florida.

Rep. Tim Briggs

State Rep. Tim Briggs of Montgomery County will take the reins of the House Democratic Campaign Committee for the 2014 election cycle, effective today.

He steps in as Democrats face a difficult uphill slog to narrow their 111 to 92 minority in the chamber.

“I was disappointed, to be candid,” he said of the 2012 election results. The caucus defeated one incumbent Republican but lost an open seat, leaving it with a net gain of zero. “The Senate saw some big victories and closed the gap. I was hoping we would have picked up a couple of seats.”

“As it got closer I knew the majority wasn’t going to be in reach. But I was hoping in the southeast to take advantage of some of Obama’s popularity.”

Briggs, 42, is beginning his third term in the state House. He’s married with four children.

He represents the 149th district in southern Montgomery County and is an attorney. Those parts of his background could correlate with better access to fundraising networks, but they’re not the only factors in his favor.

Namely, Briggs is a former flack.

“I tried to get Ethan’s job 8 years ago!” he joked about HDCC Executive Director Ethan Smith.

He began his career as a campaign staffer and spent about 8 years raising money for various candidates in and around Montgomery County. Briggs said he raised $4 million as finance director during Congressional hopeful Lois Murphy’s 2004 run against Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Chester) and also worked for Connie Williams and Joe Hoeffel. He spent time at the Bonner Group, a Democratic fundraising firm based in DC. His work there included some caucus clients such as the Ohio Dems.

Fundraising performance will be the essential element of success for a committee that was outspent nearly 2 to 1 by Republicans in 2012 and didn’t have strong buy-in from Democratic members.

PoliticsPA analyzed several factors in the House Dems’ 2012 performance here.

A significant problem during the last cycle was that now outgoing Chair Brendan Boyle (D-Phila) wasn’t selected for his role until June 2011. Many attributed that delay to the tumultuous post-2010 political landscape, which featured sparring factions of the House Dems.

Though seemingly a long time from the election, the first six months of a cycle are key for a committee to recruit candidates and to develop financial resources. It’s a handicap that Democratic leadership was determined to avoid this year.

Boyle said in November that he would be stepping down from HDCC, having intended to serve only a single term. Rep. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks) was also widely considered to be a candidate for HDCC Chair.

Another significant 2012 setback is out of their hands: the chaos surrounding the redistricting process. With the map yet to be finalized, Briggs will now face the pending uncertainty about what the districts will look like.

“I think we have to look at southeastern seats, that’s where our growth is going to be,” he said, and stressed his determination to strengthen recruiting efforts. “The trend in the suburbs of Philadelphia is just happening quicker than they can draw a map to protect.”

He acknowledged that it will take a few cycles before Democrats have a shot to recapture the majority.

“The majority is a goal. Magic could happen and we could get there. It’s not something we’re writing off. But I’m a little realistic that this is gonna be a couple cycles before we can vote for our own Speaker,” he said.

The precise composure of the other team is yet to be determined. State Rep. Dave Reed (R-Indiana) is the Chairman of the House Republican Campaign Committee. He directed the HRCC during its historic surge in 2010 and its successful effort to hold the line in 2012. But he says he doesn’t expect to remain in the role for 2014.

“That is generally not my intention. We’ll see how that discussion goes over the next couple of months,” Reed said. “Right now everybody – particularly myself being Policy Chair – we’re really just focused on the legislative issues that will be coming up in the next couple of months. Campaigns are a couple years away.”

But he welcomed Briggs to the game.

“Tim has always been a very studious legislator and I’m sure he’s been active politically down in the southeastern portion of the state. He would certainly appear to be a solid choice by the House Democrats,” Reed said.

Both men will have the opportunity to flex their muscles this spring, as Democrats seek to hold onto the seats of Eugene DePasquale and Matt Smith. Each was elected to higher office – DePasquale as Auditor General, Smith as state Senator – precipitating two state House special elections.

Ex-Rep. Joe Brennan

Ex-state Rep. Joe Brennan (D-Lehigh) faces up to 2 years in jail following his conviction for DUI and assaulting his wife. His future employment with the House Democratic caucus is yet to be determined.

The Allentown Morning Call reports that a Lehigh County judge rejected his request for house arrest and sentenced him to serve between 90 days and 2 years.

Brennan represented his Allentown district for three terms, but removed himself from the ballot after the charges were filed in August. He plead guilty this week to drunkenly punching and choking his wife then driving away.

He was ordered to report to prison Monday.

The Morning Call reported:

“‘It would literally make my future employment situation impossible,’ Brennan said in a low tone, barely audible.

“‘It’s a hardship for every defendant who stands before me,’ the judge replied. ‘The sentence stands.’”

House Democrats had hired Brennan to work in the Legislative Policy and Research Office, noting his decade of work as a researcher for the caucus prior to his election.

House Dems spokesman Bill Patton said the caucus hasn’t made a definitive decision about Brennan’s long-term status, but was suspending him in the meantime.

“Starting Monday, he will go on leave without pay or benefits until his release. His employment status will be reviewed at that time,” Patton said.

Kevin Schreiber

Eugene DePasquale has yet to vacate his state House seat and step into his new role as Auditor General, but York County Democrats have already selected their de facto nominee.

Kevin Schreiber, 32, presently serves as the Director of the Economic Development Department in York’s Redevelopment Authority.

“I am overwhelmed by the support and encouragement given to me by my wife, Jen, my family, mentors, colleagues, friends, residents of our community, Mayor Bracey, Commissioner Hoke and Auditor General-Elect DePasquale,” said Schreiber in a York Democratic Party press release. “I want to thank everyone for their affirmation and insight. Eugene DePasquale has done an excellent job representing our District, and I would be honored to serve, following in his footsteps. I will proceed with my due diligence to ensure I am fully prepared to hit the ground running on behalf of our people of the 95th.”

The Democrats are getting a head start, having all but selected Schreiber before a special actually has been called.

The Speaker of the House will detail the timeline for a special election soon after DePasquale officially vacates the office. Most expect that the election will take place in March.

Since the 95th district – comprising the city of York and its suburbs – is contained within a single county, the county party will convene a nominating meeting. There, committee members who reside in the 95th will vote to recommend a candidate. That recommendation will go to the state party which is likely to approve it.

The party solicited letters of intent from prospective candidates after DePasquale’s Auditor win in November. The party’s press release says other candidates withdrew after Schreiber made his interest public – as well as his endorsements from DePasquale and York Mayor Kim Bracey.

“He is heavily involved in the community and is well respected by his peers and colleagues. I am confident this respect will carry forward with him to the Pennsylvania State House,” said York Dems Chair Bob Kefauver said of Schreiber.

County Dems will host a public forum with Schreiber on January 8th. If selected, they’ll officially submit his name after the special is called.

Only one part of HD-95, the northern portion in green, would leave the district under the latest reapportionment plan.

The 95th district has been in Democratic hands for nearly three decades; the party enjoys a 29 point edge in voter registration (57 percent to 28 percent). Additionally, it’s one of the least-altered districts under the proposed redistricting plan.

That said, Republicans tend to perform better in low turnout special elections and a run at the seat wouldn’t be inconceivable, given a strong candidate.

York GOP Chairman Bob Wilson says his party hasn’t yet officially solicited interest from prospective candidates.

“Since we still do not know when the Speaker will call for a special election, and although while we have received a few letters of intent; we do not intend to release any official call for letters of intent until after the New Year,” said Wilson.

Democrats have also chosen a candidate for Pa.’s other forthcoming state house special election, which will replace state Senator-elect Matt Smith. They’ve tapped Dan Miller, an attorney and Smith’s longtime political ally.

Republicans in HD-42 also have not chosen a candidate.