Sugarloaf Township resident Leann Busch is contesting the nomination petition of Bill Jones, a Republican candidate for State Representative in the 117th Legislative District.
Busch, a resident of the 117th District, is arguing that Jones should not be placed on the May 19 primary ballot due to incomplete paperwork, according to the petition challenge filed in Commonwealth Court.
Specifically, her filing said Jones left the voting precinct name blank in a candidate’s affidavit that must be filed as part of the nomination petition paperwork. It maintains that the incomplete affidavit is a fatal defect.
A hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Harrisburg.
Jones, of Dorrance Township, would be competing against incumbent Republican Jamie Walsh, of Ross Township, for the party’s primary nomination in the race. Jeremy Benscoter, of Hunlock Township, is running unopposed in the primary seeking the Democratic nomination.
Jones issued a statement asserting that “Walsh and his campaign supporters are at it again” and “trying to deny me the opportunity to run for office.”
Citing criticism of Walsh’s past actions related to litigation, Jones said he won’t be deterred. He said he considered it “petty” when Joe Biden “tried to have Donald Trump thrown off a number of ballots last year.”
“He is clearly bothered by the fact I got more signatures on my petitions as a challenger than he did as the incumbent,” Jones said of Walsh. “Obviously, he would rather me out of the race than run a campaign where he has to be accountable for his record and his lack of any substantial results. He is trying to win on a minor technicality instead of allowing the voters to have a choice.”
Busch said Wednesday she decided to file the challenge on her own and is the one who will be traveling to Harrisburg for the court hearing. She said the filing “has nothing to do with Walsh.”
“If he is so incompetent that he can’t fill out an affidavit properly, he’s not suited for a state seat,” Busch said of Jones, adding that she is certain Jones would be filing a challenge if Walsh had a defect on his petition.
Three other primary election nomination petition challenges have been filed in Commonwealth Court for a state seat representing part of Luzerne County, with hearings scheduled next week in Harrisburg, according to the state objections tracker and the Commonwealth Court docket.
These three challenges are in the race for State Senate in the 22nd Senatorial District.
Two Democrats — Clarks Summit resident Jeffrey Lake and incumbent Marty Flynn, of Dunmore — filed paperwork to appear on the primary ballot seeking the party’s nomination.
The challenges, according to filings and the docket:
• Lawrence Wynne, of Scranton, challenged Lake’s nomination papers, raising complaints about the voter signature format and a petition circulator’s statement and eligibility. A hearing is scheduled for Monday.
• Lawrence S. Sparano, of La Plume, is challenging Flynn’s nomination petition, citing issues with voter signatures and petition circulators. The hearing is scheduled for March 26.
• Lake is challenging Flynn’s nomination petition, arguing that Flynn left the voting precinct line blank on his candidate’s affidavit, “rendering the affidavit incomplete and materially defective.” A hearing is set for March 25.
The state’s online tracker will be updated to include court determinations as they are issued. A link to the tracker is posted on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s “Running for Office” page at pa.gov.
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