Army vet opposed to Murtha tossed off ballot

[unhappycamper]

Army vet opposed to Murtha tossed off ballot
By Mark Scolforo - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 26, 2008 21:28:28 EST

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The road to re-election for veteran U.S. Rep. John Murtha just got a good bit smoother.

A state judge on Tuesday ruled that the lone Republican running in the primary for the western Pennsylvania seat did not collect enough signatures to make the ballot.

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson said Republican candidate Bill Russell’s nominating petition contained only 993 valid signatures, seven fewer than required.

That left Murtha, 75, the lone Democrat in the race, without an opponent on the primary or general election ballots.

Russell, 45, left the Army two years short of retirement and moved from Washington, D.C., to Johnstown to challenge Murtha. He said Tuesday that bad weather and other factors made it difficult to collect enough signatures in the heavily Democratic district.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_murtha_candidate_022608/