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By LAUREN ROTH lroth@leader.net
Thursday, March 20, 2003     Page: 9A

PITTSTON – For a guy who’s never before run for office, it was a nice
surprise. Two surprises, actually.
   
Harry W. Skene, a Pittston lawyer and West Pittston resident, couldn’t make
it to Harrisburg to draw his name for the ballot-order lottery Wednesday. He’s
one of five candidates running for the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas
judgeship that will be vacated by Patrick Toole.
    So he was “very excited” to hear that his name is first on the ballot,
for both Democrats and Republicans.
   
“I don’t have a familiar name that would be recognized for being on the
ballot,” Skene said Wednesday night. “It’ll be a bit of a boost.”
   
A candidate getting the first position on both ballots is extremely rare.
   
Skene hopes the people he meets as he campaigns door-to-door will see his
name quickly and remember him. “They may not read down that far or see other
names they recognize.”
   
The other candidates, who are also listed as both Democrats and
Republicans, are Michael Toole, Thomas A. O’Connor, Harry P. Mattern and Nanda
Palissery.
   
Mattern said he doesn’t think placement matters much. “I don’t really
think voters are influenced by ballot order to any great degree. I think they
come to it knowing who they want to vote for. Not to say it’s not a nice thing
to get.”
   
Skene said he’s thankful for his good luck. He learned about the ballot
placement when he called the Department of State for results. Skene, an
attorney with the Lackawanna County Bar Association, may be best known as
County Controller Steve Flood’s solicitor. He said he got that position after
writing Flood a letter saying he had no political involvements.
   
Mattern said he feels no ill will over Skene’s ballot position.
“Congratulations, Harry.”