Timko running write-in campaign
CRANBERRY TWP — Although he lost by 30 percentage points in this year's primary election to incumbent state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12th, Republican Scott Timko is running again for the seat as a write-in candidate.
And, he said, a federal court's ruling last week to at least temporarily allow Gov. Tom Wolf to enforce his crowd-size limitation order — part of a lawsuit in which Metcalfe is a plaintiff — was a sign he should renew his campaign.
“When the judge stayed it, I just said 'enough's enough,'” Timko said. “The guy's failed in basically everything he's done, he's wasting government resources, wasting time and we're back to square one.”
And so Timko replanted his campaign signs around the district, running now as a write-in candidate for the seat.
Metcalfe could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday, although the 21-year state representative made a post on his personal Facebook page Saturday apparently addressing Timko's renewed efforts.
“Yesterday, my loser Primary opponent started an effort to try to help my fall Democrat opponent!” Metcalfe wrote, sharing a picture of an orange NRA postcard endorsing him. “Today, the NRA weighed in with a postcard to inform voters that I am the NRA endorsed candidate, with an A plus rating, for my work to defend the 2nd Amendment.”
Timko, an airline pilot who owns a Cajun restaurant in Cranberry Township, poised himself as a candidate focused on bringing funding for infrastructure and helping small businesses, describing himself as a non-establishment alternative.
“A lot of Republicans are tired of career politicians,” Timko said, later adding, “I'm hoping to give people a good, solid Republican choice who people can be proud of.”
Daniel Smith, a Democrat running for the 12th District seat, said he recently noticed Timko's write-in signs within the district and said he saw some parallels between Timko's messaging and his own.
“It's rather interesting that someone from Mr. Metcalfe's own party is stepping up and confirming the exact same deficiencies that we've been pointing out since 2018,” Smith said.
