PA Bill Number: SB945
Title: Consolidating the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code; and making repeals.
Description: Consolidating the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code; and making repeals. ...
Last Action: Third consideration and final passage (199-0)
Last Action Date: Apr 17, 2024
GOP executive committee asks Diamond to drop out of 102nd race :: 08/12/2014
The Lebanon County Republican executive committee voted Thursday night to ask GOP candidate Russell Diamond to withdraw from the 102nd state House race so the committee can place another candidate on the November ballot.
Diamond of Annville won the party's nomination in the May primary with 1,927 ballot votes, defeating Wanda Bechtold, a Republican, who received 1,472 write-in vot
es. A Commonwealth Court judge had removed Bechtold from the primary ballot for failing to reach the required 300 signatures on her nominating petition. She then waged the write-in campaign.
The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. RoseMarie Swanger, who is not seeking a fifth term.
In an e-mail, GOP chairman Casey Long said "... the executive committee expressed serious concerns with Russ Diamond's qualifications and credibility as the Republican candidate for the office, given his past history."
The GOP county committee voted in the spring not to endorse a candidate in the 102nd House race in the May primary.
Long said the executive committee is concerned about Diamond's electability in the fall election.
The GOP executive committee also approved a motion for Long to hold a meeting Aug. 20 at GOP headquarters for party committee members who live in the 102nd district to discuss the fall campaign for state representative.
The GOP chairman said Diamond has run unsuccessfully for a variety of public offices in the past. Diamond has been a candidate for offices ranging from school board to governor. In 2008, he was defeated in the Republican primary by Mauree Gingrich in his bid for 101st Legislative District, when its territory included Annville.
In the May primary, Long noted Diamond barely defeated Bechtold. 
The GOP chairman said the overwhelming vote to ask Diamond to withdraw is a clear indiction of the county executive committee's concern about Diamond. It voted 26-1 to ask him to withdraw, he said.
"It's obvious Mr. Diamond has very little support on the county executive committee," Long said.
Diamond, a long-distance truck driver, was on the road Friday afternoon and said that he had not yet seen an e-mail that Long sent to him. He declined to comment on the matter until he read the e-mail.
http://www.ldnews.com/local/ci_26303596/gop-executive-committee-asks-diamond-drop-out-102nd
