A special election to replace former state Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, R-Cranberry, has been scheduled for August, but voters in the Butler County state House district could remain without a representative until late September.
State House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, on Wednesday scheduled the 12th District special election for Aug. 18. The winner could have to wait until Sept. 28 to be formally sworn in — that’s when the Democratic-controlled House is scheduled to return from its summer recess.
“Early June would have been better,” Butler County Republican Committee Chairwoman Stacey Palmer said of the special election, noting that the state House would be in session then and able to swear in the winner of the special election before going on its nearly three-month recess on June 30.
She pointed to the 2019 special election race in Butler County’s 11th state House District. Former state Rep. Brian Ellis, R-Butler, resigned on March 18 and a special election was held on May 21 — the date of that year’s primary.
McClinton spokeswoman Nicole Reigelman said it wasn’t possible to hold the special election on the same day as this year’s May 19 primary.
State law gives the speaker of the House 10 days to schedule a special election whenever a vacancy occurs in that chamber. The election must be held at least 60 days after that. Scialabba formally resigned on March 31, preventing McClinton from scheduling the special election for the same day as the primary because fewer than 60 days would have elapsed by May 19, Reigelman said.
“It’s disappointing that so many of our voters will go unrepresented for that period of time,” said Butler County Commissioners Chairwoman Leslie Osche, who also serves on the county’s Board of Elections.
The southwestern Butler County district is home to about 52,000 registered voters. About 54% of the registered voters are Republicans, while 30% are Democrats.
The county’s party committees will select nominees for the special election.
Palmer said it’s likely that Republicans will select a special election nominee after the May 19 primary, when the GOP has a contested race in the district between Ethan Nicholas and Scott Timko, both of Cranberry.
“The voters will have spoken by then,” Palmer said, hinting that the Republican primary winner could be the party’s logical choice for a nominee for the special election.
Brandon Dukes, also of Cranberry, is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Butler County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Catherine Lalonde did not return a message from TribLive.
Scialabba announced early this year that she would not be seeking reelection, citing family obligations. Then, in late March, she announced on the House floor that she would be resigning effective the following week.