We’re in the thick of it now.
Candidates have been circulating petitions with their respective party members, seeking signatures that would allow them to appear on the Primary Election ballot in May.
In fact, the Sunbury Area Democratic Committee at 7 tonight will have petitions to sign at the group’s meeting in the second-floor conference room of the Degenstein Community Library, South Fifth Street.
There are known races for commissioner in Northumberland and Snyder counties, and there are rumors of contenders emerging in Union County, too.
I’ve even seen a few of those harbingers of election season — the yard sign — along the highways and byways of the Central Susquehanna Valley.
And of course, local party groups are organizing fundraisers to mark the season, too.
The Northumberland County Republican Committee is hosting a chicken-and-waffle dinner for just that at 6 p.m. March 4 in the Edison Hotel, Market Street, Sunbury. Tickets are $25 for an individual or $45 for a couple. E-mail norrycogop@gmail.com for details.
Of primary concern
Meanwhile, there’s a glimmer of hopes for the independent voters in the region.
If you read this column last week, you might remember me pushing for an open primary in Pennsylvania. An open primary is one where all registered voters, regardless of party, are allowed to cast votes in the primary.
Well, apparently state Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, read my column and is proposing a package of bills that would allow, among other things, registered independents to cast votes in the primary, according to a report in the York Daily Record.
OK, likely he didn’t read my column. Open primaries have been discussed in this state for at least a quarter century.
As one who has been an independent since I registered to vote, I’ve always hated not being allowed to vote in the primary.
Particularly in Pennsylvania, off-year municipal elections tend to get decided in May, not November, because often there is only one party that puts forth any candidates. It gets more complicated at the local level when there are multiple people running on both sides.
I’m certain that party bosses in the Valley disapprove of DePasquale’s proposals. But let me reiterate: Having more people involved in the electoral process is a good thing. It should, in theory, produce candidates who appeal to a wider base of people, which increases the likelihood legislation those candidates propose has a better chance of getting passed.
Imagine: work being accomplished in Harrisburg.
Laboring for a speaker
Speaking of groups seeking to accomplish something, the Susquehanna Valley Conservatives sent out a reminder about its 7 p.m. meeting March 14 in the Baylor West Conference Room at the Best Western Country Cupboard Inn, Lewisburg.
This month’s topic is “Labor Unions — Asset or Liability.”
The keynote speaker will be Mark A. Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and president of the National Right to Work Committee. His focus is on protecting workers from the abuses of compulsory unionism, and he’s been featured on Fox News and in other conservative arenas.
The group is trying to find someone to represent the labor-union side of the debate.
In an interview I did a few months ago with co-organizers Bob Harder and Bob Lebda, the Conservatives are seeking understanding.
It’s true, they advocate a conservative point of view, but the pair said their group is one that does not believe a person is any less of a person just because they espouse an opposing view.
If any labor representative is willing to be a part of the discussion, contact Harder at rharder@ptd.net.
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