Luzerne County Republicans seeking DA contenders

Luzerne County’s Republican Party is seeking lawyers interested in running for county district attorney in the Nov. 2 general election.

A county Election Board majority had decided the race must be on the upcoming ballot under new state legislation governing DA vacancies, with the county Democratic and Republican party organizations each choosing a contender.

However, all six Republican county council members — a majority of the 11-member body — voted to seek outside legal counsel and a court ruling on whether the DA race must wait until the next municipal election in 2023 so nominees could be selected in a primary.

Council selected the Stevens & Lee law firm to handle that litigation.

County Republican Party Chairman Justin Behrens said his party must proceed with selecting a candidate, but it disagrees with the election board’s decision.

“We as the Republican Party believe the law clearly states that the appointed district attorney is meant to fill out the rest of the term, but as we await legal determinations to be made, the Republican Party of Luzerne County executive board has made the decision to start the process of selecting a candidate,” Behrens said in a release.

Interpretation of the new state legislation arose because Stefanie Salavantis resigned March 25 to run for county judge. Sam Sanguedolce, previously first assistant DA, was automatically appointed to fill the DA post under the new state legislation.

Sanguedolce said Monday he will apply for Republican nomination.

In accordance with the state Republican Party bylaws, an open solicitation must be held for the position, Behrens said.

Applicants must be registered county Republicans and qualified to practice law in the state.

Letters of interest must be emailed to Behrens at [email protected] or sent to 212 Wyoming Ave., Kingston, PA 18704. Applicants must state their current address.

Letters of interest are due by 5 p.m. July 22. No letters will be accepted after that deadline. Questions may be directed to the above email.

The county’s Democratic Party received letters of interest from two lawyers interested in running for the office by the party’s June 23 submission deadline. The party has not announced a nominee.

DA term

The election board has not yet discussed whether the term for a DA elected in November would be two or four years. That issue is listed on Wednesday’s board meeting agenda.

There are arguments in support of both options, the county administration said.

Sanguedolce said his position is that it must be four years because it is being treated as a new term.

The county’s home rule charter limits district attorneys to all or part of three terms, elected or appointed. If the race is on the November ballot for a two-year term and Sanguedolce wins, both his appointed and elected terms could be counted as two terms toward the three-term limit. That would leave him with only one more four-year term in office.

Sanguedolce said this interpretation would limit his potential time as district attorney to a little over six years instead of 12 years.

He has argued that the charter’s DA term limits are “one of very many things that conflict with state law.”