by E. Teresa Touey

During a recession, the taxpayers have funded Mr. Lentz’s frivolous suit against his two Democratic opponents, Gail Conner and me.  Two important points come to mind.  First, Mr. Lentz tried using his campaign to eliminate all competition from the ballot.  Secondly, every voter who stopped at the door of the six ACME supermarket to support me represents a voice to give me the opportunity to be a candidate.   The intention of our founders was to encourage debate, discussion, and civic involvement in our politics and our government.  All the signers of my petition are voices that count.  I am clear from the twenty one days of the petition drive that the voters are angry at inaction and politics as usual.

Commonwealth Court Judge P. Kevin Brobson disallowed two important categories of registered Democratic voters from my petition count which started on March 9th as 1,248 and dwindled in the challenge process to 1,060 beginning at the opening of yesterday’s hearing.  The final tabulation of registered valid signatures by the end of the hearing was 992 just eight short of the required 1,000.  Forty four registered Democratic voters living in other towns in the congressional seventh district other than the town where their registration card stated were stricken. Just this week another candidate in front of another Commonwealth Court Judge kept those voters.  Thirteen registered Democratic voters, all women, were stricken for signing my petition with their married last name instead of their maiden last name as their registration cards stated.  The last eleven stricken Democratic names were a combination of incorrect dates, use of initials, and other miscellaneous reasons.

At the end of my hearing, this recently elected judge commended my passion, energy and commitment to the petition process suggesting that all voters of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should be proud of my example and should participate in one petition drive in their lifetime.  He defended his decision as a strict interpretation of the law and precedent.  Adhering to the definition of hearsay, the judge dismissed the results of my efforts over the last two weeks to visit fifty three of the fifty seven doors of the voters in these two categories.  Catching seventeen of those fifty three voters at home, produced a remedy.  Each voter re-registered for me at the new address, changed their name on a new registration form, and/or signed a letter re-stating their intention in having me on the ballot by correcting their original mistake on my petition.  

Let me be clear, Judge Brobson was well within the law and his rights of interpretation. I simply point out how different issues can be judged differently within the law.  I want a system that encourages candidates and voters to get involved to support my party and candidates in whom they believe.  Is this an unreasonable position?  My conclusion about this legal and political experience is a renewed commitment to working on ballot access issues in my home state.  I have worked campaigns for elected offices at the federal, state and local level in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts for twenty-nine years while observing one in Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.  The election laws in this state favor candidates chosen and endorsed by the two major parties – Republican and Democrat.  Mr. Lentz’ ability to avoid the rigors of a Democratic primary which would require him to articulate his beliefs and his ideas in forums, debates and opinion pages on the difficult realities facing the country and the voters would have prepared him best for the tough general election in the fall.  Ms. Connor and I are educated, bright and experienced women at mid-life who have a contribution to make.  

I got in this race to make a difference with the guidance and encouragement of Don Dowd who served Senator Edward M. Kennedy as a close adviser for forty seven years.  Don and I prepared for Senator Kennedy’s passing throughout the summer of 2009 setting the groundwork for my race.  Senator Kennedy died in August and then Don passed in January, 2010. I met both men while getting over 1,000 signatures for the 1994 Kennedy re-election campaign against challenger, Mitt Romney, who is supporting Patrick Meehan in this race.  I can hear their advice now from above:  Shake it off and move on to the next issue.  I thank my parents, the press, my advisers, my supporters, my petition signers, my attorneys, and my present and future colleagues in the Delaware County Democratic Party.  My next issue is introducing legislation to promote ballot access where the intent of real voters reigns supreme.