Murtha, Mascara pleased by election ruling
A federal court’s decision to keep the date of Pennsylvania’s primary on May 21 was welcome news Tuesday to the two veteran Democratic congressmen who are both seeking the nomination for a revamped district. With the decision, U.S. Rep. Frank Mascara, D-Charleroi, and U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, will go head to head in four weeks.
However, the same three-judge panel earlier ruled against the newly constructed congressional district was unconstitutional and gave the Republican-controlled state General Assembly three weeks to come up with a new plan. That plan was introduced last week, but with the primary less than a month away, the court decided to allow the rejected map to remain so the primary will not be delayed.
The two lawmakers have been campaigning all along as if they were headed for a showdown.
“My campaign has not stopped. I’ve been running all along as though Act 1 would be in effect,” Mascara said. “But it is rather disturbing to see the court implement an act that they’ve already deemed unconstitutional.”
Meanwhile, Mascara continued his push to get the opportunity to have a debate with his opponent.
“I am continuing my campaign, and I am fully prepared to articulate the issues that separate myself from Jack Murtha. I am reiterating my request that, with one month remaining before the primary election, Mr. Murtha agree to a debate,” Mascara said.
Mascara has been seeking to debate Murtha for some time. He earlier said he would do it anywhere or anytime. Murtha’s spokesman, Brad Clemenson has repeatedly said he is trying to find a suitable date for a debate.
Murtha issued a brief statement in response to the ruling. “I’m pleased by the court ruling. It would have been very disruptive, and very expensive, to delay the election. We’ve been working hard for over eight weeks, and now we’ll just keep on working through the election,” Murtha said.
A May 8 hearing will be held on the new map and if it is approved, those districts will be introduced in the 2004 election. In his statement, Mascara further outlined his position on the two Republican crafted maps.
“Of the two maps, I much prefer to run under Act I than Act 34. I have the number one ballot position. And my base in the 12th District has a decided Democratic advantage of 48 percent to Murtha’s 43 percent, with 9 percent having been represented by neither of us,” Mascara said.
“I feel confident that the hearing scheduled for May 8 to review the legality of Act 34 will result in Act 34 being deemed unconstitutional, just like Act I. In the final analysis, I strongly believe that there will be a new, fairer map for Pennsylvanians, but that this map will not take effect until the 2004 elections.”
Democrats have spoken out against what they have said is a deliberate attempt to further shift the balance of power in Congress to the Republicans. Mascara concurred with that assessment. “Unfortunately the court’s decision could decide who holds the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives, this map approved for the 2002 election could mean a 13-6 or 14-5 Republican advantage in Pennsylvania,” he said.
Mascara, 72, and Murtha, 69, have each spent years in public service but in separate districts. Mascara was a Washington County Commissioner before he was elected to Congress in 1994. Murtha has been in Congress since 1972.