Dems choose Kosierowski as 114th District nominee

Jan. 10--DICKSON CITY -- A Democratic Party committee overwhelmingly recommended Bridget Malloy Kosierowski on Wednesday as the party's nominee for the vacant 114th state House District seat.

Kosierowski, 46, a registered nurse who lives in Waverly Twp., said she was excited to earn the nod and thanked 114th House District Democrats gathered at Nosh, a restaurant, for choosing her. She faces an eight-week campaign against a still-to-be-determined Republican before a March 12 special election to replace the late Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich, a Democrat from Taylor who died Oct. 16.

"This is fantastic," Kosierowski said. "I'm ready to work. The campaign, eight weeks, not a lot of time. We're going to have to work hard. The main goal, obviously, is to keep our seat Democrat."

Kosierowski said she expects the race against whoever the Republicans choose as a nominee to focus on property tax reform, curbing opioid abuse, containing an expected state deficit and ensuring adequate health care coverage for everyone.

The 114th House District Democratic committee selected Kosierowski over three other prospective candidates. The others were Wendy Jones, 55, of Dickson City, the business office manager at a local nursing home, Rabbi Daniel Swartz, 57, of Clarks Summit, the rabbi at Temple Hesed in Scranton, and Leonard Longo, 52,the owner and operator of two Cinnabon stores and operations manager for Northeast Penn Supplies in Scranton.

Kosierowski received 63 votes to seven for Swartz, six for Longo and five for Jones.

In interviews, Swartz, Longo and Jones said they were disappointed, but pledged to support Kosierowski.

The county Democratic executive committee meets Sunday evening and will likely ratify the recommendation, county Democratic chairman Chris Patrick said.

That would officially make Kosierowski the nominee for special election for the 114th seat, vacant because of Kavulich's death. Kavulich, first elected the 114th representative in 2010, died Oct. 16. His name remained on the ballot unopposed and he won in the November election.

The Republican 114th House District committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday to recommend its nominee with the county Republican executive committee meeting next Thursday, presumably also to ratify the recommendation.

Three candidates have announced plans to seek the Republican nomination. They are Stephen Semenza, 29, a lawyer who lives in Old Forge; Mike Conigliaro, 45, a history teacher and former TV sportscaster from Taylor; and Old Forge School Director Frank Scavo, 56,a real estate investor.

The winner of the special election will serve the rest of Kavulich's term, which expires Nov. 30, 2020.

State legislators will earn a base salary of $88,610.42 this year.

The 114th consists of the Carbondale city, Waverly, Fell, Glenburn, Greenfield, Newton, North Abington, Ransom, Carbondale, and Scott townships and Clarks Summit, Dickson City, Jermyn, Mayfield, Moosic, Old Forge, Taylor and Vandling boroughs.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter.

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