Three Norwin School Board candidates were removed Wednesday from the May primary ballots.
A Westmoreland County judge ruled technical errors rendered nomination petitions submitted by incumbent Alex Detschelt, along with Republican hopefuls Tammy Moreno and Randall Pedder, as invalid.
Detschelt, a controversial first-term member of the board who has twice been censured by the panel for alleged disparaging comments, was tossed from the Republican primary after the judge ruled two signatures that appeared on his petitions were not properly obtained.
Detschelt submitted the minimum 10 signatures required to qualify for the ballot and as a result of the judge’s ruling, no longer had enough signatures to appear on this spring’s ballot.
“It was a technicality, but I won’t appeal,” Detschelt said. “It doesn’t really matter at all that all Republicans are now off the ballot. We don’t have a majority on the board.”
Detschelt, who was elected in 2022, said he will likely no longer attend board meetings, but could consider another run for a seat in two years.
Moreno, who sought a Republican nomination, and Pedder, who filed to run as both a Republican and Democrat, were removed from the ballots for failure to file required statements of financial interests with the school district. Both filed their financial disclosures with Westmoreland County.
Pedder said he should be allowed to continue as a candidate because instructions as to where to file his paperwork were unclear. District officials said Pedder filed his disclosure on March 25.
“I wasn’t aware I needed to file a second one. When I learned that, I filed it and I am now in compliance and ask to remain on the ballot,” Pedder said.
Moreno, who ran unsuccessfully for a school board seat in 2023, did not attend Wednesday’s hearing.
Norwin residents will fill four school board seats this fall.
Five candidates remain on the ballot, all of whom have cross-filed: Rob Bunovich, Monica Kitta, Jakub Sadowski, Chelsea Thomas and Ella Thompson.