A McCandless Republican has been ruled ineligible to appear on the May 19 primary ballot as a candidate for state House because he doesn’t meet Pennsylvania’s residency requirement.
Ehab Akkary was the lone Republican to file paperwork to seek the GOP nomination in the 30th state House District, which includes Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, Emsworth, Franklin Park, Kilbuck, McCandless, Ohio Township and part of Hampton. Second-term state Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-McCandless, is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
“I am disappointed by the Commonwealth Court’s ruling and respectfully disagree with the outcome. But I have tremendous respect for the Court and for the judicial process, and I will not challenge the decision further,” Akarry wrote Monday night on his campaign Facebook page.
A registered Republican who lives in the state House district filed a petition last week alleging that Akkary didn’t meet the state’s residency requirement. The state Constitution requires a state House candidate to have lived in Pennsylvania for at least four years prior to an election — in this case, by Nov. 3, 2022.
A Commonwealth Court order filed Monday said Akkary bought a house in McCandless and moved into it with his parents in May 2023. Allegheny County real estate records confirm the $1.75 million transaction.
At the time, Akkary, a cosmetic surgeon, was dividing time between his practice in Morgantown, W.Va., and a practice in Cranberry while going through a divorce in Morgantown. He started working at the Cranberry practice in January 2022.
Prior to buying the McCandless home, Akkary stayed at a Marriott hotel near the Cranberry practice when working there, never for more than a week at a time. He didn’t receive work or personal mail at the hotel, nor did he keep clothing or other belongings there full-time, the order said.
The court order said Akkary stopped working at the Cranberry practice in December 2023, but he has remained in the North Hills while also owning a townhouse in Morgantown. He registered to vote in Pennsylvania in September 2024 and got a Pennsylvania driver’s license the following month.
“He stated that he sleeps in Morgantown at most once or twice a week, and he stays there for convenience when his daughter is in school,” the court order said.
Because Akkary did not live in Pennsylvania before Nov. 3, 2022, the Commonwealth Court ruled that the nomination petition he filed to run was invalid and said his name would be removed from the upcoming primary ballot.
“This was never a close call,” Venkat said in a statement.
“This was an unfortunate attempt to mislead voters and bypass the rules that every candidate has to follow,” Venkat added. “Had this not been litigated and he been elected, Ehab Akkary would not have been seated, and our communities would ultimately would have been left without representation.”