Robert Schnee, a Democrat turned Republican cruised to victory. Schnee was already a known vote getter, having a seat on Luzerne County Council.
Amilcar Arroyo, the Democrat was a distant second. Arroyo was one of the major faces and voices during the immigration law controversy in Hazleton. I just wonder if there was some lingering resentment over that.
Every election depends on turnout. Arroyo didn't energize his base and get his people to the polls. Schnee did. That is how you win an election.
There were some troubling things here. Turnout was less than 15 per cent. 14 per cent of the people who did go to the polls wrote someone in, and that is a hefty percentage. It's clear there are a lot of people who were unhappy with the candidates the Republicans and Democrats selected for them.
Libertarian Paul Cwalina was barely a blip on the radar. Will there ever be a viable third party?
The seat didn't flip. It belonged to Republican Tara Toohill before. It belongs to Republican Robert Schnee for the next eight months.
Schnee doesn't live in the new 116th. It will be another new face in Harrisburg come next year.
There will be more change in the fall. District lines will be different, and Schnee doesn't live in the new 116th.
