Mustello on top in 11th District race
Marci Mustello appears to be headed to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after defeating Democrat Sam Doctor and winning about 57 percent of the vote in a special election Tuesday.
Mustello received 5,808 votes while Doctor got 4,312. The race was for the state House's 11th District.
“I will be accessible,” Mustello said. “I will listen. Any concerns you have, really, I'm here for you. This isn't about me winning, this is about the district winning. What do we want to see out of Harrisburg? And what do we want to see out of our state representative?”
The only question hanging over the race is an error on the ballots. In both this and the special election for state Senate District 41, Butler County ballots did not include the party affiliation of candidates. Shari Brewer, director of elections, said it was her fault.
“I take full responsibility for it,” Brewer said.
Brewer said they haven't previously handled a special election at the same time as a primary. Primary ballots don't normally include party identifications.
She said they had reported the error to the Pennsylvania Department of State, but hadn't yet heard back Tuesday night. She was not sure what outcome the error would have on the election. She also reported the error to the county's legal team.
The election results are supposed to be certified Friday.
Doctor said he didn't think the missing identifications affected the outcome.
“Maybe 1 percent of people voted for someone by mistake,” Doctor said.
The House's 11th District seat opened up in March when long-term representative Brian Ellis resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Both Doctor and Mustello previously lost to Ellis. In the 2004 Republican primary, Ellis' 3,016 votes beat Mustello's 2,145. That was the year Ellis first took the office.
And last year, Doctor's challenge to Ellis on the independent ticket failed after garnering 4,939 votes compared to Ellis' 16,079.
Doctor is 28. Mustello is 48.
Mustello is a longtime political aide, while Doctor is a crane operator at AK Steel. Both live in Butler Township.The district includes Butler, Connoquenessing, Summit, Jefferson, Oakland, Clearfield, Donegal and Fairview townships. Connoquenessing, Prospect, Saxonburg, East Butler, Chicora, Fairview, Karns City and Petrolia boroughs. The entire city of Butler is within the district.At Hill United Presbyterian Church in Butler, members of the Bergh family showed up to vote for a friend of the family: Mustello.“We've known her for years,” said Lynne Bergh. “She's been around politics for a long time.”Lynne's son, Erik, said he went to high school with Doctor. He too voted for Mustello.At the Lyndora Volunteer Fire Department, voters cast ballots just a few feet from Ellis' old district office.On her way in the door, Patsy Zaccari said she'd be selecting Doctor to fill the seat. She's a Democrat, she said, and she thinks her son-in-law might be related to the candidate.She said she's seen several of Doctor's signs around. She's not disheartened by her area's overall Republican lean.“I know Butler County is mostly Republican,” Zaccari said. “I drive by people's houses that still have signs that say 'Drain the Swamp,' and I just say 'Really?'”Mustello watched election results pour in from a watch party at Sons of Italy in Butler. Her supporters crowded the room.“She is someone who would do anything for anybody,” said Lee Ann Galante of Butler, one of Mustello's close friends. “She's the hardest working person I know.”Nikolaus Schuster, a volunteer for Mustello's campaign, said she previously hired him for an internship at U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly's office.“Once I heard she was running, I said I've got to help her out,” he said.Doctor's supporters gathered at Butler Brew Works. Despite losing, they were still joyous. Supporters yelled out each precinct won as results poured in.
SAM DOCTOR (D) 42.3%MARCI MUSTELLO (R) 57.3%
