It looks like clear sailing for a Leighton/Yudichak showdown in the 14th. Examiner.com has learned that Michael Saporito of Pittston Township has withdrawn from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 14th Senatorial District rather than defend the challenge filed in Commonwealth Court to his nomination petitions.
State Representative John Yudichak (D-119) and Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton now have a one on one battle for the Democratic nomination. Luzerne County Commissioner Steve Urban is running unopposed in the Republican primary.
A hearing was scheduled for tomorrow at 9:30 am in Harrisburg, but Saporito's withdrawal made that hearing moot.
A petition was filed on March 18th to strike 222 of the 585 signatures filed by Saporito. 500 valid signatures are required to have a candidate's name placed on the ballot for State Senate. The legal action was filed by Attorneys Matthew Croslis and Timothy Brennan of Allentown.
Croslis and Brennan represented Karen Metta and Brent Makarczyk, the registered Democratic voters who are the named petitioners in the legal action to remove Saporito's name from the ballot.
Their challenges of the signatures were based in eight separate grounds from the signer not be a registered Democrat to not being registered in the district to signing the nominating petition twice.
"Our campaign remains focused on the people of northeastern Pennsylvania," said Yudichak. "I talk and listen to them everyday; they want a leader with a proven record of creating new jobs and a strong reputation for standing up against culture of corruption in politics."
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