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GOP storms Westmoreland Courthouse (Democrat heavy County near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Tribune Review (Pittsburgh area) ^ | 9 November 2011 | By Rich Cholodofsky

Posted on 11/09/2011 7:36:35 AM PST by Vigilanteman

Republicans authored a historic shift in Westmoreland County government on Tuesday.

Charles Anderson and Tyler Courtney secured a majority on the board of commissioners for the first time since 1956.

It also appears that Republicans swept all five row offices, defeating four longtime incumbents, according to unofficial election results.

Two-term incumbent Controller Carmen Pedicone, potentially the last Democrat standing, lost by 262 votes to write-in candidate Jeff Balzer.

"We worked so hard for this. It's just going to be a great victory. I am so happy, you don't even know," said Chairwoman Elaine Gowaty of the county Republican Committee. "I think the voters of Westmoreland have spoken in this election."

Incumbent Anderson, 68, of Hempfield, and Courtney, 43, a Hempfield businessman, will take control of the three-person board of commissioners.

Read more: GOP storms Westmoreland Courthouse - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_766343.html#ixzz1dDoWf2TF

(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: election; pennsylvania; returns; westmoreland
This is a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 3-2 margin. It is so Democrat that even Walter Mondale carried the county in the 1984 Reagan landslide.

It is so Democrat that the GOP didn't even bother to nominate a candidate in the County Controller's contest. Pedicone was so good that even our conservative leaning daily endorsed the Democrat. The GOP candidate had to win a ballot spot by waging a write-in campaign.

And still, the county GOP managed to nationalize a local election by tying the top of the ticket to Obama. None of us were expecting a clean sweep in the down ticket row offices. Yes, there is still a chance Pedicone could win in a recount, but very slim.

The Democrats even blanketed our mail boxes over the weekend with fliers quoting our Quisling State GOP Chairman Gleason praising the Democrat candidates. But by now, even what are left of the honest Democrats have to be asking themselves how that Obama thing is working out.

1 posted on 11/09/2011 7:36:39 AM PST by Vigilanteman
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To: Vigilanteman

Dem’s (Obama) can’t win without PA in 2012.

Republican’s need to grow and maintain this momentum!


2 posted on 11/09/2011 7:44:44 AM PST by G Larry (I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his character)
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To: Vigilanteman
Thank God I live here now, and not with those fools in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh).

Allegheny County is lost.
3 posted on 11/09/2011 7:45:18 AM PST by BikerJoe
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To: Vigilanteman

This is very encouraging. Twenty years ago Westmoreland was a growing county and an attractive place to settle in suburban Pittsburgh. Then they started electing a bunch of Democrats who started taxing people out the wazoo. So all that growth moved to Butler and Washington counties.

No such hope for us here in Allegheny County. We are stuck with Rich “Your Company Is A Sweatshop” Fitzgerald for the next four years.


4 posted on 11/09/2011 7:45:55 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Owl_Eagle; brityank; Physicist; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA; GOPJ; abner; baseballmom; Mo1; Ciexyz; ...

ping


5 posted on 11/09/2011 11:15:51 AM PST by Tribune7 (If you demand perfection you will wind up with leftist Democrats)
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To: Vigilanteman

The beauty of this is what it does to the patronage/nepotism machine. So many party hacks are reliant on the political machine for their daily bread. This was a major source of strength for the, ahem, party that had been in power.


6 posted on 11/09/2011 12:10:55 PM PST by SargeK
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: SargeK
Yep. I also have to wonder what's going to happen with former commissioner Balya's sweetheart deal to rent the country space in an office building which he owns at inflated long-term rates.

His wife is still a judge and will no doubt declare the deal valid and enforceable. But her jurisdiction is limited.

8 posted on 11/09/2011 1:36:06 PM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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