State Republicans joined by 1 of their major critics
HARRISBURG — Republicans in the Pennsylvania state Senate were digesting the news this week that they will be joined by a conservative maverick who was heavily critical of them in an expensive and sharp-elbowed special election in which he soundly thumped the GOP’s nominee.
Scott Wagner, an anti-establishment conservative activist and president of waste hauler Penn Waste Inc., won Tuesday’s election in York County as a write-in after weeks of hard-hitting, negative ads between his campaign and the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. It likely cost more than $700,000, by one estimate.
Among the Senate Republican Campaign Committee’s donors were top Republican senators and Gov. Tom Corbett.
It was the first time in memory — if not ever — that a state Senate seat was won by a write-in candidate. And it was won resoundingly: With 22,219 ballots cast, nearly 48 percent were write-ins, while the rest were essentially split by the Republican Party nominee, eight-term state Rep. Ron Miller, and Democratic Party nominee Linda Small.
Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, suggested Wednesday that the negative campaign tactics should not leave hard feelings between Senate Republicans and Wagner.
“It was a spirited campaign and it wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last,” Pileggi said.
Meanwhile, top party figures rushed to congratulate Wagner. Still, Wagner’s criticism might not be completely forgotten.
Republican senators acknowledged that some among them will be unhappy with sharing closed-door caucus meetings with Wagner, who has contributed heavily to challengers to Republican lawmakers who he did not view as conservative enough. Meanwhile, Wagner’s campaign consultant, Harrisburg-based Ryan Shafik, pointed out that the Senate Republican Campaign Committee launched personal attacks on Wagner. “There needs to be some fence-mending,” Shafik said.
Wagner also plans to seek an end to the GOP’s efforts to knock off Republican primary candidates who challenge incumbents or party nominees.
Wagner’s victory “sent a message that voters are tired of backroom deals in Harrisburg and party elites trying to pick candidates for Republican voters,” Shafik said.
