With the holidays upon us and the presidential election in the rear view mirror, local politics has seemingly grinded to a standstill to the general public. There aren’t any flashy headlines in the Republican and Herald everyday, gaudy campaign events at the Pottsville Club each weekend, or daily tracking polls released on WNEP nightly. However, party officials and political operatives are moving fast and furious behind the scenes as the campaign to replace Jim Rhoades as the 29th district state senator is undoubtedly on.
The serious contenders, Rep. David Argall (R-124), Deer Lake attorney Gretchen Sterns, and Pottsville attorney Christopher Hobbs, have all officially announced and began wooing prospective delegates with websites, palm cards, and phone calls. Truth be told, Schuylkill County GOP Chairman Bob Ames is keeping the names of the delegates to the nominating convention so close to the vest that the respective campaigns are targeting pretty much anyone who has ever donated to, worked a poll for, or been elected to office for the Schuylkill County Republican Party.
Today, the Clarke Report checked in with county GOP officials for a status check on where they are in the delegate selection process. Finance Chairman Jason Ghergel, who has reportedly been assisting Ames with choosing delegates, said “Bob is taking his time and choosing carefully. He knows that he has to play this as straight as possible in order to bring legitimacy to the process,” Ghergel continued, “Bob is committed to choosing the most open minded and neutral batch of delegates, so that Schuylkill County is ensured the most fair and open nominating process possible.”
For those shocked that such an entrenched party operative like Ames would stay neutral in a race like this, you need only look to the top of the Republican Party for an explanation. A few weeks ago, Ames and the other 29th district county chairmen met with Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati. Scarnati reportedly put the hammer down by ordering that the processes not be fixed nor decks stacked for one candidate over another. He believes that the GOP can ill-afford for an already demoralized party base to feel like the nominating process was rigged to quiet their collective will.
As for names, Ghergel was silent. However, he did say that current plans entail that Ames will release the names of those who have been selected as delegates and have committed to attend the convention, approximately a week before the actual “conference of counties”. Although, actually getting people to agree to be delegates is a whole other issue.
“We have actually had quite a few people tell Bob that they don’t want any part of the process,” said Ghergel.
This isn’t shocking considering that those attending the convention will have to choose sides between the two most powerful factions of the Republican party (the Argall and Rhoades camps). Yet, according to Ghergel, there are a great many more who have stepped forward to volunteer their time.
Local officials, though, could not give set time tables for WHEN this process would kick off. Apparently, the state GOP committee has taken an active hand in organizing the nominating process. I spoke with state GOP spokesman, Mike Barley, to see if I could nail down some dates. Barley explained that nothing could move forward until the Lt. Governor announced the vacancy, a step that has been delayed by the recent death of Lt. Governor Katherine Baker Knoll. However, Scarnati, the constitutional successor to Knoll, is scheduled to take the oath of office in Harrisburg tomorrow and announce the vacancy within days.
It is only after Scarnati’s announcement that state GOP Chairman Robert Gleason can set a date for the “conference of counties”. However, Gleason has posted some of the ground rules and procedures in the state party’s website for those looking for some information.
“The state committee would like to have the nomination resolved before the holidays in order to give our candidate time to organize and hit the ground running after the new year,” said Barley.
When I asked what type of influence state party officials have wielded in the selection process, Barley stated, “We [the state GOP] don’t have a dog in this fight. We are not in the business of telling the 29th district who they should select. We are going to give the conferees the opportunity to select the candidate that they think is best to represent them. Our job is just to organize the event and ensure that the process comports with state by-laws.”
If anyone is interested in becoming a delegate for the nominating convention and they meet the required criteria for selection, please contact Bob Ames at (570) 622-1540 or stop by county GOP headquarters at 362 S. Centre St. Pottsville.
