Waggett exits 50th House race despite securing Democratic write-in nomination
Dems can now pick new candidate to run against Rep. Cook in Nov. 5 election
Stephanie Waggett, the Republican candidate from Greene County who unexpectedly won the Democratic nomination for the 50th state House through a write-in campaign during the primary, has withdrawn her name from the general election ballot.
Her exit from the race Monday will now allow the Democratic Party’s committees in Washington and Greene counties to select a replacement nominee to run against Republican state Rep. Bud Cook in the Nov. 5 election.
Waggett ran against Cook in the Republican primary on April 23, but lost to the four-term incumbent. However, she received 413 write-in votes from Democrats – who did not have a declared candidate for the primary – giving her well above 300 needed to get on the ballot, which would have set up a rematch against Cook in the general election.
But she notified the state Department of State just before Monday’s deadline to withdraw that she would not accept the write-in nomination, meaning she won’t appear on the ballot. Waggett, of Cumberland Township, did not respond to a phone message seeking comment on why she decided to leave the race.
With the ballot position now open, Democrats have until Aug. 22 to nominate their own candidate to run against Cook, according to State Department Press Secretary Matt Heckel. Challenges can then be made up to three days after the selection is submitted, and the new candidate must promptly file all appropriate financial statements and certificates, Heckel said.
The 50th state House District includes all of Greene County and the southeastern portion of Washington County, so Democratic committee people in those areas will now have to convene to select a new person to run. Washington County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Christina Proctor expects the two committees will hold a virtual meeting in the coming days to pick a candidate due to the tight timeline to get the paperwork filed.
“We’re glad to hear she’s dropping out,” Proctor said Tuesday upon being notified by a reporter of Waggett’s decision. “It will be great to have a true Democrat as our nominee that people can rally behind and get excited about. Having someone on the ballot in the 50th helps the ticket.”
She said they would open the nomination process to any Democrat living in the 50th District who would like to run, and anyone interested should contact their county’s party committee.
“We usually try to make it as open a process as possible,” she said. “If someone wants to do it, tell us.”
But she also suggested that Drew Ross Manko of North Bethlehem Township, who attempted a write-in campaign during the primary, could be the front-runner for the nomination.
“At this point, the only person who stepped up in the past was Drew Ross Manko, so he obviously comes to mind,” Proctor said.
Ross Manko was unable to get enough signatures from Democrats on his nominating petition ahead of the primary, so he instead ran a write-in campaign. But he finished in third in the Democratic primary, receiving 133 votes compared to Waggett’s 413 write-in and Cook’s 218 tallies.
Ross Manko, who is a sixth-generation farmer from Washington County, did not want to comment directly on the nominating process because he wanted to let the committees choose the candidate. However, he said he’s still interested in running for the 50th state House seat and thinks his background as a “rural Democrat” could be a selling point for the party.
“I’m still very willing. My dedication to democracy hasn’t wavered in the last few months,” Ross Manko said. “If it’s the will of the parties in the counties that I’m the man for the job, I would fully accept that nomination and do my best to represent the people of Washington and Greene counties to the best of my abilities.”
Cook could not be reached for comment Tuesday for his reaction to Waggett’s decision to withdraw or the possibility of facing a Democratic candidate in the general election.