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Recount seems likely in Lt. Gov. race

It’s been more than a week since primary voters went to the polls—but it looks like Democrats will have to wait a little longer to know who won their nomination for Lieutenant Governor.

The Pennsylvania Department of State said Tuesday that returns from counties across the state had been submitted and tallied, and the most recent count still shows state Representative Scott Conklin (D-Centre) holding a slim lead over former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel. But at just 3,862 votes, Conklin’s edge equals less than one-half a percent of the total vote, narrow enough for an automatic recount under state law.

A recount has not yet officially been ordered by the Secretary of State, but it’s likely that only a request from Saidel to forgo a recount would head off such action. After a disappointing election night that Saidel and his supporters had expected to win easily, his campaign has held out hope, saying it believes there are still provisional ballots to be counted.

Saidel reiterated that sentiment in a statement Wednesday morning.

“I have maintained since election night that before taking a position on proceeding with a recount, the first count needed to be completed with all votes being counted and tallied properly,” Saidel said. “It is my understanding that nearly 4,000 absentee and provisional ballots have yet to be counted, the majority of them from the greater Philadelphia area. State law provides for an automatic recount to ensure that Pennsylvania elections respect the highest principles of our democracy. In that spirit, and out of respect to the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who placed their trust in me this election, I believe a recount is in the best interest of our political system and we look forward to participating in the process as it moves forward.”

May 26, 2010 at 10:04 am

--pa2010.com Staff

Tags: Jonathan Saidel, Lt. Gov., Scott Conklin

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