— Can one candidate beat a Democrat and a Republican in separate elections on the same day?

Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason is betting his guy, Tim Burns, can succeed – even in the face of challenges on two fronts.

Burns was chosen by party representatives to face Democrat Mark Critz in a special election to fill the remainder of the late John P. Murtha’s current term - through the end of 2010.

At the same time, Burns is running against fellow Republican William Russell in the primary election for the same seat beginning in 2011.

“It is very unusual,” said Gleason, of Johnstown, who is also the Cambria County GOP chief. “I can’t remember a situation in my lifetime where a guy was running against a Democrat and a Republican as well. It’s bizarre.”

Also bizarre, perhaps, is the contentious relationship between Russell, who made a spirited run against Murtha in 2008, and the Republican Party.

Russell garnered a better-than-expected 42 percent of the votes against the powerful long-time congressman, but was left out when it came time to select a Republican to run in the special election – and left out of the financial backing that might have come with it.

On March 11 at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Republican conferees gave Burns 85 of a possible 131 votes for the special election spot. Russell received the other 46 votes.

However, Russell remains on the primary ballot and says he is determined to give Burns a run for his money.

“The party didn’t support me,” Russell said. “The party is leery of me. But I don’t need them to make it.”

Russell said his polling showed him leading Burns by 30 points at mid-week, while Gleason says his people have Burns ahead.

“Tim Burns sold himself well to the people who were going to make the decision about who the nominee would be,” Gleason said. “I didn’t tell those people how to vote.”

Russell seems to hold a personal grudge against the state GOP chairman.

“He didn’t support me,” Russell said. “He has been actively working against me on this primary election.”

Russell called himself the “popular candidate” and said a grassroots effort will give him the primary victory.

He also said Burns’ support from party leaders at the local, state and national levels is actually a plus for Russell.

“It helps me stick out as the anti-Washington, anti-establishment candidate,” said Russell, who relishes his ongoing role as the underdog.

“We’re spending a lot of time going around visiting businesses and meeting people,” Russell said. “When you’re introduced to someone and their friend speaks for you and says they would vote for you, that means a lot more to people than seeing a TV ad about some guy they’ve never met.”

Gleason acknowledges that Russell made a nice run at Murtha two years ago. But Gleason characterized Russell’s showing as “an anomaly – it was an emotional thing” linked to Murtha’s stance against the Iraq war and his comments about Marines killing civilians in Haditha.

Republicans faced an uphill challenge in the 12th because of their registration deficit – the district is 60 percent Democratic – even if they weren’t fighting among themselves.

Gleason did say Murtha’s death on Feb. 8 changed the complexion of the 12th district race – for Republicans as well as Democrats. Burns and Russell had already said they would be running this year, before it became a election with no incumbent.

So the stakes are higher now.

“Both Bill and Tim have had their chances over the past year to go around and meet with the county leaders and get to know the people of the district,” Gleason said. “And that’s with neither of them knowing, obviously, that Jack Murtha would die. They were both figuring on a primary, which we now have. But suddenly we also have a special election and somebody will be going to Washington.”

And in the end, can Burns defeat both Critz the Democrat and Russell the Republican on the same day?

Or will Russell steal the GOP’s thunder?

Either way, this promises to be compelling theater.

“People wonder, why is Russell sticking around?” Gleason said. “Maybe lightning will strike and he’ll become a congressman. He’s been working at it for three years, so who knows?

“In the final analysis, it comes down to how the people feel,” Gleason added. “But they’re not going to vote for one Republican in the special election and another in the primary. I don’t see it.”



Chip Minemyer is the editor of The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 532-5091.