News

March 24, 2010

Barletta’s primary challenger in 11th, Chris Paige, drops out of race

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
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Monroe County hedge fund manager Chris Paige has decided not to seek the Republican nomination in the 11th Congressional District.

“I’ve withdrawn from the race to address some health and family issues,” Paige said in an e-mail announcing his decision. “My wife and I need some time alone to grieve the loss of our child.”

Paige and his wife, after struggling for years with infertility, had finally conceived but lost the baby earlier this month, according to his campaign Web site. Doctors were not optimistic about the couple’s chances for trying again, according to the brief note on the site.

With Paige out, Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta is unopposed in the May 18 GOP primary race.

On his Web site, Paige, 38, of Sky Top, said, “Recently, Mayor Lou Barletta decided to transform our primary fight into a legal dispute. Although I am confident that I would prevail, I am equally confident that a protracted legal battle would not advance the causes I believe in, and – ultimately – those issues are more important than my personal political fortunes.”

Challenges to Paige’s nominating petitions apparently contributed to Paige’s decision. It was not known whether he would have had the necessary 1,000 valid signatures to stay on the primary ballot. Paige was scheduled to appear at a hearing Tuesday in Commonwealth Court on a challenge by three voters to his nomination petitions.

Five petitioners asked the court to set aside Paige’s nominating petition – William Maughan, Maureen Ace, Robert Ace, Sandra Scagliotti and Bruno Christian Hennings III. The legal filing stated that Paige’s petitions contained 1,270 signatures and claimed 516 to be invalid.

“I began this race because I had something important to say about the bailouts and their moral, economic and political costs to our society and because I was alarmed by the dangerous ongoing transformation in our country and its politics, and I sincerely regret that I won’t have an opportunity to continue fighting for you and for the ideals we share,” Paige said.

Barletta said with Paige out, he will focus on November.

“As a father and a family man, I understand and I wish him well,” Barletta said. “This will certainly help us preserve our resources and focus on the real goal, and that is winning in November.”

Barletta, 54, said a primary challenge is not a bad thing.

“It would have helped us get in fighting shape for the general election,” he said. “We were prepared to do that and win.”

Luzerne County Republican Chairman Terry Casey said he has not heard from Paige.

“The Republican Party invites Mr. Paige and his supporters to unite behind Lou Barletta so that we can work to send a true representative of the people to Washington,” he said.

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