A Democratic state senator in Pennsylvania was sworn in Wednesday to his third full term, a week after the chamber's Republican majority blocked him from
Both Allegheny County and the state Supreme Court previously had ruled that the ballots should be counted despite the language of the law requiring that voters must fill out, date and sign a declaration on the outer envelope of their mail-in ballots.
When ballots are submitted through the mail, they are post-marked and time-stamped upon their arrival at county election offices.
Prior to the election, Gov. Tom Wolf s administration had counseled counties not to count such votes, according to the Associated Press.
But the state Supreme Court ruled, 4-3, against Ziccarelli s challenge, swung by a vote from Democrat David Wecht. The ruling found that the ballots should count in this election, but noted that this type of voter error may be disqualified in future elections.
Senator Hughes calls on Pa. Senate GOP to seat Senator Brewster following federal court ruling
PHILADELPHIA January 12, 2021 State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) issued the following statement after U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan validated the 2020 Election win of state Senator Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland).
“Today’s ruling is certainly in order with the facts of the case. Senator Brewster won the popular vote, all state and federal court proceedings, and was certified by the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. The Senate Republicans need to accept these facts and swear Senator Brewster in immediately. They must accept the will of the voters, and the rule of law, and give the residents of the 45th Senatorial District the Senator they chose. Seat Jim Brewster now.”
Jan 13, 2021
HARRISBURG (AP) Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s state Senate said they will stop blocking a Democrat from taking his seat in the chamber after his unsuccessful GOP challenger lost another bid in court Tuesday to overturn the results of the close race.
U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan was under pressure to settle a fight that spilled onto the floor of the state Senate last week when majority Republicans refused to let Democratic state Sen. Jim Brewster of Allegheny County be sworn in.
Democrats hailed Ranjan’s decision, and called on Republicans to immediately seat Brewster. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, said in a one-sentence statement on Twitter that the Senate will return to session Wednesday to swear in Brewster.
PA SENATOR JIM BREWSTER WINS LAWSUIT CONCERNING ELECTION, TO BE SWORN IN TODAY By Josh Widdowson
Jan 13, 2021 7:19 AM
State Senator Jim Brewster will be sworn in this morning after a federal judge ruled that he won the election for the 45
th District Senate Seat.
Brewster was defending his seat in the general election against Republican Challenger Nicole Ziccarelli, an attorney from New Kensington in Westmoreland County. While the state certified Brewster’s victory, Ziccarelli challenged the results in court, saying that ballots that were not properly dated in Allegheny County were counted towards Brewster’s total, and if those votes were not counted, she would have won. In his 14-page opinion, Federal Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan said that her argument failed because it revolved solely around the ballots in Allegheny County being invalid, which in his opinion, were not. That upheld a previous decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.