Luzerne County must hold special election on April 5 for vacant state representative seat

Luzerne County must hold a special election April 5 to fill Tarah Toohil’s vacant state representative seat in the 116th Legislative District, state House Speaker Bryan Cutler ordered Monday.

Toohil, a Republican, resigned from the seat effective Jan. 1 because she is now a county Court of Common Pleas judge.

Cutler has sole discretion to determine the special election date and had to issue a writ identifying the date within 10 days of Toohil’s resignation, which gave him until Monday.

The county Republican and Democratic party organizations would each get to choose a special election contender, with the winner serving the remainder of Toohil’s term through Nov. 30, officials said.

The special election must be held at least 60 days after the writ, allowing a window between around March 10 and the May 17 primary, officials said.

It could have been held simultaneously with the primary to avoid additional resources and expenses.

However, there was a concern voters would be confused, in part because candidates also will be running in the May 17 primary for the next full two-year seat in the 116th District covering 2023 and 2024, with the voter-selected nominees advancing to the November general election.

Proposed new legislative boundary maps also are undergoing a 30-day public review.

The current boundary lines still apply for the special election filling the rest of Toohil’s term, officials said.

“Voters in Pennsylvania are already receiving a lot of information about new districts and major elections this year,” Cutler, R-Lancaster, said in a release. “This special election is to complete the term under the current, or old, map. Therefore, holding the election on its own unique date, and not coinciding this special election with the primary, eliminates potential confusion for voters.”

The state will reimburse the county for the cost of the special election, officials said.

County election bureau employees are working with the Secretary of the Commonwealth to confirm all filing deadlines and important dates and will publicly release more detailed information in coming days, said a subsequent release from Election Director Michael Susek and Deputy Election Director Eryn Harvey.

The 116th House District contains 34 voting precincts and approximately 33,873 registered voters, the release said.

Under the current boundary maps, the district does not extend beyond the county.

The following municipalities, partially or full, currently fall in the 116th District, according to Harvey: Hazleton; the boroughs of Conyngham, Nescopeck, New Columbus and Shickshinny; and the townships of Black Creek, Butler, Conyngham, Dorrance, Hazle, Hollenback, Huntington, Nescopeck, Salem, Sugarloaf and Union.

County Councilman Robert Schnee, of Sugarloaf Township, has said he is “very interested” in receiving the county Republican Party nomination to run for the seat.

The executive committees of both county parties will ultimately select the contenders.

County Republican Party Chairman P.J. Pribula said he was informed paperwork for the party’s nominee must be submitted by Feb. 15. He plans to advertise the seat through Facebook and other means before an executive committee meeting is held to select someone.

County Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Bozinski said she is still obtaining information on deadlines that will guide how the party identifies interested applicants before its executive committee selection meeting.