Shaner defeats challenger
It appears the incumbent representative has secured the Democratic nomination for the 52nd Legislative District, besting his challenger by more than a 2-to-1-vote margin. According to unofficial vote counts in Tuesday’s primary election, state Rep. James Shaner, D-Dunbar, handily beat his opponent, Mount Pleasant Mayor Gerald Lucia, with 29 of the 35 precincts in the legislative district reporting in Fayette County and two of the nine precincts providing counts in Westmoreland County by press time.
In Fayette County Shaner received 3,208 votes to Lucia’s 1,370 votes, with Westmoreland County reporting Lucia holding a slight lead with 116 votes to Shaner’s 101 votes, in unofficial results.
Shaner, who has served six terms in office, attributed his success to the hard work of his re-election committee and the continued support of the constituents in the legislative district.
“They gave me a job and sent me to Harrisburg to work for them,” he said late Tuesday. “I work for the best people in the country.”
Shaner said the outcome indicated to him that he retains the trust and confidence of those he represents.
“I’m not going to let them down,” he said.
Shaner said that his re-election committee was also to be credited for helping him secure the nomination.
“We had a team of workers out there today and despite the weather they stayed out there,” he said. “They are an awesome group of people.”
Lucia, who is making his first bid for state office, said that poor voter turnout in Westmoreland County and the hard work done Fayette County Democratic Party Committee on Shaner’s behalf attributed to his loss.
“Mount Pleasant came out strong for me and I’m very pleased, but overall the turnout wasn’t good,” he said. “I didn’t give enough credit to the Fayette County Democratic Party. They were united and it was rewarding for Jim.”
Lucia said it is unclear whether he will seek state office in the future.
“I’m disappointed,” he said. “I was offering change and apparently that isn’t what the people wanted.”
Shaner will face Republican candidate William H. Earnesty in the fall election. Earnesty ran unopposed in Tuesday’s primary. Unofficially, he garnered 1,049 votes in Fayette County and 101 in Westmoreland County.
In Fayette County, the 52nd District encompasses the City of Connellsville, Dunbar, Franklin, Jefferson, Lower Tyrone and portions of Menallen, North Union, Perry and Upper Tyrone townships. The district also includes the boroughs of Dawson, Dunbar, Everson, Newell, Perryopolis and Vanderbilt.
In Westmoreland County, the legislative district includes East Huntingdon, portions be Bessemer and Mount Pleasant townships and the boroughs of Mount Pleasant and Scottdale.