Libertarian who was barred from Dallastown council seat eyeing a bid for Congress instead

Dave Womack's political career is off to an unconventional start, as the Dallastown Libertarian who was denied his elected seat because of 22-year-old "infamous crimes" has conceded the case, but is now working in advocacy and considering a congressional run.

"I never thought I was still being punished for my crimes until I realized I couldn't run for office," Womack said. "But another way I am being punished is I can never rightfully defend myself as another American who doesn't have a criminal past or felony conviction."

Womack was initially elected to a seat on the Dallastown Borough Council Nov. 2, but he was prevented from taking his seat because of his criminal record.

In July of 2003, when Womack was 21, he was struggling with addiction and robbed a Rutter's with a pellet gun and stole a case of beer. He was ultimately charged with robbery, burglary and possession of a firearm with an altered identification and served four years in prison.

Womack said he has reformed, and as he lived in the Dallastown community he saw an opportunity to give back in the form of local office.

Womack ran uncontested and gathered more than 95% of the vote for a seat on the council. But York County District Attorney Dave Sunday filed an injunction against Womack, barring him from taking office. Womack was seeking legal counsel to overturn the injunction, but without help from others serving in office who have a similar record, according to lawyer consultations Womack attended, things did not look good.

An example of someone serving in office despite a history of "infamous crimes" is York Mayor Michael Helfrich, who assumed a city council seat and later won the mayoral seat, despite a felony drug conviction.

Womack officially ended his bid for the council seat earlier this week. He has applied for a pardon for his criminal record to make him eligible to run for local office again, but the process can take anywhere between nine months to three years.

More on Womack: He won a seat on Dallastown Borough Council, but DA says his criminal record disqualifies him

"People could bring (the criminal record) up and try to use it against me politically, but I was absolved of the punishment. So it's not that that takes it away that I ever did it."

Womack said interactions between Sunday and him have been helpful, with no hard feelings over the situation. He said Sunday and his office are writing him a recommendation for the pardon.

"It wasn't about me, (Sunday) tried to reiterate that this wasn't an attack on all the things I've done to rehabilitate myself. It's just how the law is written," Womack said. "And he was actually the one that suggested if I submit my pardon application to them, they would write a letter of recommendation and submit it."

But this may not mean the end of his political aspirations. State law says he cannot serve on a municipal level, but there is no bar against a federal office.

Womack has been asked to run for the 11th Congressional District of Pennsylvania by the Libertarian parties of York and Lancaster counties. The district covers half of York and half of Lancaster.

"I could be president, vice president, senator or congressman, but I can't serve on my borough council," Womack said. "So it's one of the reasons why they want me to run here ... So I'm really considering it, and I'm exploring some other options."

In the meantime, he is advocating for others in his position. He has seen an outpouring from the community, with some asking for help submitting pardons for running for office, or employment or owning a firearm, which he is working with them on free of charge.

He is also connected with "The Project it's About Change," a local nonprofit that helps ex-offenders find the resources they need to get their lives back on track.

"I understand that if someone does something like that I did, that there should be some kind of time period there before things are changed for them," Womack said. "But they should definitely have that opportunity for those to change. If they prove that they are not the same person that they were, they shouldn't be held to mistakes that they made decades ago."

Jack Panyard is a reporter at the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at jpanyard@ydr.com, 717-850-5935 or on Twitter @JackPanyard.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Dallastown Libertarian Dave Womack ends bid for council, eyes congress