Brewster won’t be sworn into Senate today
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, is the certified winner of the 45th Senate District, but according to a Senate official, he won’t be sworn in today.
Brewster won’t be sworn in because his opponent, Republican Nicole Ziccarelli of New Kensington, filed an election contest five days ago asking the Senate to reject the certified election results. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman decided to delay swearing anyone into the seat as a result.
Brewster said Monday in a Zoom press conference that he feels that anyone who runs for election, whether they win or lose, is part of a Democratic process.
“This is an attack on the Democratic process,” Brewster said. “It’s not about me or my opponent, it’s about how we handle an election when there is some ambiguity.”
Ziccarelli thanked the Senate Monday for taking the step of not seating Brewster and addressing her filing of the election contest.
Corman said in a livestreamed press conference Monday night that he decided to delay filling the seat while the Senate decides what to do about Ziccarelli’s election contest.
“If the Senate were to exercise its powers under the Constitution, it would be a fairly unprecedented act,” Corman said. “I thought it was important for the members to have the time to absorb the contest and the response (from Brewster) and have the time to make an educated response.”
Corman said his decision didn’t have anything to do with “party or personality” and described both candidates as “fine individuals who worked very hard.”
Because Ziccarelli didn’t file the contest until five days ago and it was 500 pages, Corman said, he didn’t think the Senate would have enough time to “digest it” and make a decision about it in time to seat “either of them” today.
But Corman said he believes the decision can be made quickly because the facts in the case are not in dispute.
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