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Lawmaker will be missed by colleagues, constituents
A special election cannot be scheduled less than 60 days of the issuance of the writ, but, "There's no end date," said Leslie Amoros, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of State.
In other words, a special election for the 12th Congressional District, which includes all of Greene County and about half of Washington County, could be held any time this year from about mid-April. The regular election cycle would also take place, and two Republicans who had hoped to eventually challenge Murtha in the fall also weighed in with statements on the congressman's death.
Rendell addressed the vacancy question only briefly Monday afternoon in a conference call from Harrisburg with members of the media.
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"But there may be extraordinary issues Congress may have to decide before primary day."
He said he'd be talking to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now-senior Pennsylvania Congressman Bob Brady, D-Philadelphia, and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer about " how important it is to have a special election."
In a special election and the involvement of Republican and Democratic state committees, Rendell said, "Obviously, people are going to have to come forward.
"This is not the day for that."
The last time a congressional vacancy occurred in Pennsylvania was in February 2001, when U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster resigned his seat in the 9th District. His son, Bill, won the seat in a special election that was held in May of that year.
Rendell cited Murtha's clout in talking of his passing.
"Wherever you were in Pennsylvania, certainly for anyone sitting in this chair, Jack Murtha was our go-to guy. He'll be missed in countless ways.
"For Southwestern Pennsylvania and the areas he represented east to the Johnstown area, the economic development Jack brought in his district was maybe second to none. He wanted people to have a decent, family-sustaining job, and second to that was his devotion to the American fighting man and fighting woman."
Two Republican congressional hopefuls had issued statements by late afternoon Monday.
Tim Burns of Eighty Four said, "Congressman John Murtha's life was a story of service and dedication to his country and his constituents.
"He learned the value of public service as an Eagle Scout and carried it with him to the Marine Corps, where he volunteered for service in Vietnam. All Americans, regardless of their political views, owe Congressman Murtha a debt of gratitude for his dedication to his beliefs and his life of service to our country. Today, I join all of Congressman Murtha's constituents in offering my deepest condolences and prayers to Mrs. Joyce Murtha and the entire Murtha family at this difficult time.'
William Russell of Johnstown, Murtha's Republican opponent in 2008, who had planned a campaign stop in the Mon Valley on Thursday, issued a brief statement Monday:
"Today's news will be met with profound sadness by the hundreds of thousands of constituents he served in Johnstown and throughout the 12th Congressional District.
"To Joyce, their children and grandchildren, we extend our heartfelt respect as you honor Mr. Murtha's memory and reflect on his legacy in the upcoming days and months."
He soon followed it up with another message: "The Russell campaign is immediately initiating a moratorium on all political media activity for the next five days in respect of the passing of John Murtha. The campaign will also remove all political references to Mr. Murtha" on its Web site.
Representing the other half of Washington County is Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair.
"It is a sad day for Jack's constituents in the 12th Congressional district, for the Commonwealth and the nation," Murphy said in a statement.
"No more dedicated a public servant could be found than Jack Murtha. Jack was a Marine who fought for his country and brought his same fighting principles to the halls of Congress on behalf of his constituents and Pennsylvania. Not only have I lost a colleague but sadder yet, I've lost a friend."
Former U.S. Rep. Frank Mascara said Murtha's death is surely a loss for Washington County.
"His seniority played a big role in the amount of federal dollars coming back here," said Mascara, who served in Congress from 1995 to 2003.
Mascara and Murtha, fellow Democrats, had a working relationship prior to the redistricting that occurred following the 2000 census, when the 20th Congressional District, which included much of the Mon Valley, was split between the 12th and 18th Congressional Districts.
Mascara opted to run against Murtha in the 12th's Democratic primary, since the redrawn 12th contained more of Mascara's old territory than Murtha's. After a bruising primary filled with negative campaigning by both candidates, Murtha won by a wider-than-expected margin.
"I'm sure (his death) is a loss to his family and constituents," said Mascara. "They have my sympathy."
Washington County Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Maggi was shocked when told of Murtha's death.
"He worked tirelessly," Maggi said. "He has only been our congressman for the past six or seven years, but he cared what happened here and tried to help us with our problems with the federal government."
Maggi's counterpart in Greene County, Commission Chairman Pam Snyder said, "I am just sick, so distraught.
"He was such a good man who did so much for Southwestern Pennsylvania, " she said. "He is unparalleled as a U.S. representative."
She cited Murtha's legacy in Greene County, securing millions of dollars for the development of Walmart at the Waynesburg Crossings retail center. The county commissioners named the road leading to the complex as Murtha Drive.
"I am just so devastated," Snyder said. "This loss is too deep to even grasp."
Murtha attended Washington & Jefferson College before joining the Marines, and W&J President Tori Haring-Smith said she was "deeply saddened" at news of his death.
She said Murtha was "a strong supporter of this college, and this region, and very deeply appreciated the value of an education."
Larry Spahr, Washington County elections director and a Union Township supervisor, credited Murtha with the construction of sewers in the community of Elrama, which had languished on a back burner for nearly 20 years.
"He put a sufficient amount of money to keep the monthly sewer bills at an affordable level at a very reduced cost - $60 a month and with taps costing $1,000. There are taps here in Washington County that are almost $6,000."
He likened Murtha to another senior member of Congress, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, legendary for bringing home the bacon.
"Murtha did the same thing for his people in Pennsylvania, no question."
Staff writer Linda Metz contributed to this story.
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