Altmire

HARRISBURG — A judge has ruled that U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire can remain on a southwestern Pennsylvania primary ballot in the race against a fellow Democrat, in part because a young campaign worker still lives at home with her parents

U.S. Rep. Mark Critz had challenged the legal residency of one of Altmire’s staff, arguing that about 200 signatures she collected should be thrown out. That would have left Altmire with less than 1,000 valid signatures, the number required to appear on the April 24 primary ballot.

But Judge Dan Pellegrini declined to invalidate approximately 200 signatures collected by the 23-year-old woman, who rented an apartment outside the district. Pellegrini ruled that her parents’ home inside the district should still be considered her permanent home.

The court case ended up spawning serious ill-will between the two Democrats. Both are seeking election to the newly redrawn 12th District, created by Republicans who control Harrisburg to force the men into a primary contest under the once-a-decade process of revising boundaries to reflect population shifts.

Altmire issued a statement Monday calling Critz’s lawsuit a “futile and cowardly challenge” that employed tactics “usually reserved for elections to high school prom king.”

Critz spokesman Mike Mikus said the campaign is “currently exploring our legal options” and noted that Altmire withdrew about 400 signatures before the judge even ruled, leaving him barely over the qualifying limit.