The Republican National Committee held up Robert Schnee’s victory in the 116th Legislative District state representative race Tuesday as a sign of wins to come.
“In choosing Representative-elect Robert Schnee, Pennsylvanians issued a strong warning to every Democrat: commonsense, Republican policies work, and that’s what voters will support this November,” said a statement from RNC Northeast Regional Communications Director Rachel Lee.
Lee said the state’s Republicans are “fully focused on delivering victories up and down the ballot,” and that effort was affirmed with Schnee’s win.
The RNC worked “hand-in-glove” with Schnee and the Republican Party of Pennsylvania to contact more than 8,600 voters and provide support that included data and more than 60 poll watchers to fully cover polling locations from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Tuesday’s special election, she said.
Schnee received 2,797 votes to fill the remainder of Tarah Toohil’s state representative term through this year, according to unofficial results. The tally was 1,262 for Democratic opponent Amilcar Arroyo and 211 for Libertarian Paul Cwalina.
While some provisional paper and mail ballots must still be added to the tally after county Election Board adjudication, the voter turnout at this point is 13.48%, with 5,006 of 37,142 registered voters casting ballots, the election bureau’s online results report shows.
A 62-year-old Sugarloaf Township resident, Schnee said he was humbled by the win and thanked voters for going out of their way to cast ballots outside the primary and general elections. The retired Hazleton City Authority meter reader has said he wanted to serve as a state legislator to fight for the elderly, people in need and working families.
Schnee has been serving on county council since 2016.
After the election is certified, council must declare the council seat vacant and select someone to fill the remainder of the seat through 2023.
Council must determine whether to appoint a Democrat or Republican.
Schnee was elected as a Democrat in 2019 but subsequently changed his registration to Republican. The county’s home rule charter says the appointee “shall be a member of the same political party as the person he/she is to succeed and shall have been a member of that party continuously from the time the person whose office is to be filled was most recently elected or appointed to the office.”
County Interim Chief Solicitor Harry Skene said Wednesday he is reviewing the matter.
Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo said he is convinced the charter wording means the seat should be filled by a Republican, and he believes council should take that position.