The third time turned out to be a charm for Cranberry’s Scott Timko as he earned the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s primary election race in the 12th state House District after coming up short in two previous bids.
Timko collected nearly 52% of votes cast compared to 48% for his opponent Ethan Nicholas, according to unofficial results.
Timko, 61, will face Cranberry’s Brandon Dukes in the November election. Dukes was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
“I wanted my campaign to reflect the values I hold most dear — honest, ethical, humble and, above all, conservative,” Timko said in a statement to TribLive.
Timko said he was proud that his campaign’s “message of optimism and keeping Butler County conservative resonated with the voters.”
Timko served in the Air Force for 12 years and then became a civilian pilot and small-business owner. He and his wife previously owned and operated a Vocelli Pizza location and J. Gumbo’s Cajun Restaurant in Cranberry.
He previously sought the Republican nomination in 2020 and 2022, but lost in the primary both times.
The 12th District has been represented in Harrisburg by a Republican since 1998.
Former state Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, R-Cranberry, resigned in March, leaving the seat vacant. House Speaker Joanna McClinton scheduled a special election for Aug. 18 to fill the seat for the remainder of Scialabba’s term. Nominees haven’t been announced for that race, but local party officials have said that those who earned nominations in the primary would be logical choices to run in the special election.