Brewster win certified, but court decision awaits
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
A social media showdown took place between state Senate Democrats and Republicans Wednesday and Thursday.
Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and the PA Senate Democrats — in a Facebook post, a tweet and a press release Wednesday night — recognized incumbent state Sen. Jim Brewster of McKeesport as the winner of the 45th Senatorial District race.
That came after the Pennsylvania Department of State certified down-ballot election results, which show Brewster garnered 66,261 to Republican opponent Nicole Ziccarelli’s 66,192 votes.
The district stretches from the Alle-Kiski Valley to the Mon Valley and includes communities in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
In an email to the Mon Valley Independent Thursday, DOS Communications Director Wanda Murren said Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar certified all statewide and legislative races on Wednesday, “including that in the PA Senate 45th district.”
“The counties certified the races to the Department, and it is the duty of the secretary to certify based on their certifications, as no court has enjoined either the counties or the state from proceeding with certification,” she wrote.
Republicans on social media argued the official victor of the race will be decided by U.S. District Judge Nicholas Ranjan.
Ziccarelli filed a federal lawsuit in late November seeking to overturn Allegheny County Board of Elections’ decision to count more than 2,300 ballots submitted with incorrect or missing dates written on outer envelopes after the state Supreme Court upheld the county board’s ruling. There are 311 ballots in question from the 45th District.
Westmoreland County election officials opted not to count ballots with incorrect or missing dates on the envelope.
“While we have been confident for some time that Sen. Jim Brewster would be returning to the Pennsylvania Senate, the official certification comes as a relief and we congratulate him on the win,” Costa said in the release. “He has admirably served his constituents in the legislature and in the district, and we are certain that level of service will continue in this coming term.”
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