Manning to remain on ballot in council race
Washington Councilman Joseph M. Manning will remain on the ballot in the May primary despite a court petition challenging the validity of his nominating petition.
Washington County Judge Gary Gilman dismissed the challenge Wednesday on a technicality, saying the attorney representing Bernard J. Russell of Washington failed to petition the court for a hearing on his appeal within 10 days after the March 19 deadline to file nominating petitions with the county elections office.
Gilman said there is nothing in the state election code requiring the prothonotary’s office to petition for a hearing on behalf of someone else.
Russell’s petition apparently was otherwise filed properly, and its validity was not at question before Gilman. Russell had asked the court to toss out Manning’s nomination, claiming the Democratic candidate didn’t get enough signatures from within his party on the petition he presented to the elections office. Manning turned in 110 signatures, 10 more than needed, and has said he believed they were from qualifying Democrats.
Russell’s attorney, Jay Walsh of Pittsburgh, said he needed to discuss Gilman’s ruling before deciding whether to appeal the decision to a higher court.
“I’m happy with the way things turned out,” said Manning, who is serving his first term in office.
He was represented at the hearing by Washington attorney Colin Fitch.
Fitch’s motion for his client to be reimbursed for legal fees in the case was denied by Gilman.