Nine of 25 State Senators and 66 of 203 State Representatives will face no major party opposition in their reelection efforts this year.
Third party or independent candidates may be on the ballot against them, if they can meet the heavy petition signature standards placed on them by state voting laws.
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The biggest surprise at yesterday's petition filing deadline for Democrats and Republicans came when State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) deposited enough signatures to run for both his current seat and Lieutenant Governor. His candidacy came as a surprise in a Capitol where keeping a secret for any length of time is nearly impossible.
Mr. Metcalfe is a 10-year House veteran and widely considered as the most conservative member of that body, if not the entire General Assembly. He will formally announce his candidacy on Wednesday.
Joining Mr. Metcalfe is the races to be a heartbeat away from the governorship are 11 others, three Democrats and eight Republicans.
Jim Panyard is a reporter for the Pennsylvania Independent. He can be reached at Jim@PAIndependent.com
