Timko to face Dukes in 12th District race in November
The race for Pennsylvania’s 12th House District is set, Scott Timko, a retired Air Force captain, won the Republican nomination for the seat, defeating Republican competitor Ethan Nicholas in the primary election Tuesday, May 19, according to unofficial election results.
In a closely contested race, Timko edged out Nicholas 3,201 votes to 2,984. There were also 72 write-in votes.
Timko will face Brandon Dukes, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Dukes picked up 4,624 votes in Tuesday’s primary, against 32 write-in votes.
Both candidates are residents of Cranberry Township. In addition to his service as a former Air Force captain, Timko previously co-owned a Vocelli Pizza shop and J. Gumbo’s Cajun restaurant.
Dukes, a commercial construction loan administrator, recently ran for Cranberry Township supervisor, narrowly losing to incumbent Bruce Hezlep.
The winner of November’s general election will succeed Stephenie Scialabba, who announced in February that she would not seek reelection for her seat, which she assumed in 2022. Scialabba stepped down from her seat in late March, prompting a special election scheduled for Aug. 18 — separate from November’s general election — to fill the remaining three and a half months of her term.
It is expected that both Timko and Dukes, as the winners of their respective party primaries, will also be nominated as the candidates for the special election.
The 12th District is in the southwestern part of Butler County, including the townships of Adams, Cranberry, and Jackson, as well as the boroughs of Evans City, Harmony, Zelienople, Seven Fields, Mars, Valencia, and Callery.
