Gloves off in hotly contested race for Republican county commissioner nominations

May 13—The gloves are off, and it's bare-knuckles politics in the hotly-contested race for the Republican nomination for Schuylkill County commissioner.

For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, maybe ever, eight Republicans are competing in Tuesday's primary to be the two candidates who will represent the party in the November general election.

The unusually high number of prospective nominees, Schuylkill County Republican Party chairman Howard "Howie" Merrick acknowledges, presents a challenge for the party leadership.

Given that six of the eight prospective nominees will lose on Tuesday, the question arises — Can the party reunite for the November election?

Or, will disunity leave the door open for the Democrats to gain the majority on the three-member board of commissioners.

With 21,720 more Republicans than Democrats registered to vote — 48,611 to 26,891 — Merrick said it's difficult to imagine a scenario where Democrats would gain a majority on the three-member board of commissioners in the November election.

Still, in a campaign that has seen a debate by four candidates that was not sanctioned by the party leadership, Merrick confides healing the wounds of a divisive primary isn't going to be easy.

"It will be my first order of business when primary night is over," said Merrick, a retired government teacher who's been party chairman for three years.

There is no contest on the Democratic primary ballot, where Commissioner Gary J. Hess and Rita Anczarski Baldino are unchallenged for the party's nomination.

The Halcovage factor

The challenge to Republican party unity is made all the more critical given the possibility that incumbent Commissioner George Halcovage — his name is first on the Republican primary ballot — could emerge as one of the party's two candidates in November.

In the past week or so, Republican party operatives have engaged in extraordinary efforts to demean Halcovage — a Republican stalwart who's been a commissioner since 2012 — who's been accused of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment in a federal suit by four unnamed female courthouse employees.

The Schuylkill County Leadership PAC, for example, has sent unflattering mailers depicting Halcovage in dark glasses as being "unhinged, unaffordable and unelectable."

Documents on file in the Schuylkill County Election Bureau list Robert Bransteller as chairman of the political action committee. He is a partner in Hallowell & Branstetter, a Camp Hill-based political consulting firm.

A second group, Virginia-based Resolute Republic PAC, has also sent mailers critical of Halcovage. Its chairman is Greg Ridenour, of Minooka, Illinois, and its treasurer is Taylor Reed, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, election bureau records show.

Merrick is uncertain who's behind the PACs, but insists they're not the work of the Republican county leadership.

For its part, the Republican county committee posted an email in which Kate Staudenmeier, wife of the late commissioner Frank Staudenmeier, criticized Halcovage for allegedly attending funerals to get votes.

The party's webmaster surrounded the email with a red box and blaring headlines saying "The Real George Halcovage. Say No to George Halcovage on May 16!"

Kate Staudenmeier addressed the original email to Halcovage — her husband's running mate in 2019 — with copies to county commissioners Barron L. "Boots" Hetherington and Hess, and Gary R. Bender, county administrator.

Merrick said he obtained Kate Staudenmeier's permission to post the email. Asked how he got the original, Merrick replied, "Someone sent it to me."

One of their own

First elected commissioner in 2011, Halcovage easily won a second and a third term with the support of the party.

In March 2021, his political fortunes changed when the women filed the lawsuit in federal court.

Subsequently, he was disavowed by the party leadership. State Sen. David G. Argall, R-29. Rush Twp., and former state Rep. Jerry Knowles initiated an effort in Harrisburg to have Halcovage impeached.

Had the House of Representatives impeached Halcovage, and the state Senate convicted him in a trial — neither of which has happened — Halcovage would have been prevented from holding public office.

Indeed, reporting by the Republican Herald's Amy Marchiano in March suggested efforts to impeach Halcovage have stalled in the state capital.

And, legal documents on file suggest, the federal suit against Halcovage appears destined for mediation. A conference between the parties is scheduled for June 9 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito Jr. in Wilkes-Barre, the Republican Herald reported.

Isn't that democracy?

During a recent interview in Republican party headquarters, Merrick walked a tightrope in order to maintain neutrality among the candidates.

Seeking the party's two nominations for commissioner are, in the order they appear on the ballot: Halcovage, Mary Jo Moss, West Brunswick Twp.; Dan Evans, Tamaqua; Hetherington, Union Twp.; Larry Padora, New Ringgold; Ray Jones, Ashland; Maria T. Casey, Minersville and Jeffrey J. Dunkel, Palo Alto.

The party's bylaws, Merrick noted, make it extremely difficult for the leadership to endorse candidates in the primary. A two-thirds majority is required, and the leaders can only vote once.

The Halcovage incident is probably the reason there are eight candidates running for commissioner — initially, there were 14 — Merrick said.

Regardless, he said, the candidates represent a range of viewpoints on hot-button issues like reassessment, the prison pre-release center and transparency in governing.

Merrick prefers to see that as a sign of the party's strength.

"Everyone has had something to say," said Merrick, who oversaw three meet-and-greets among candidates at American Hose Company in Mount Carbon. "Isn't that what democracy is all about?"

One of the drawbacks of such a large field, Merrick noted, is that candidates could be nominated with only 20% of the vote.

That said, there's the nagging question of what the Republican party will do if Halcovage is nominated.

After its leadership called for his resignation, attempted to have him impeached and censured him as recently as a month ago, could the Republican party rally behind Halcovage in November?

"I don't know," Merrick said. "The committee will have to decide."

Contact the writer: rdevlin@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6007