Orloski To Remain on Ballot For State Senate

Pennsylvania State Capital Building Harrisburg Dusk River Waterfront

Rick credited his legal team for their work on his behalf. That firm also represented Mike Horton, the state rep candidate who was tailed by a Karen Beyer PI. Tim Brennan, one of these legal eagles, was reluctant to discuss details of either case.

Four years ago, Allentown lawyer Rick Orloski and State Senator Pat Browne squared off in the state senate race. Pat come out on top, but I was very impressed by the good will that both of them had for each other, along with their humility. They are both class acts who seemed to have a genuine regard for each other.

This year, Rick is challenging Pat again, and I was really looking forward to their dialogues. Ideologically, they are much different, but it’s so refreshing to see candidates who can actually be nice to each other.

Unfortunately, a Pat Browne proxy challenged Rick’s nomination petition. Had that succeeded, there would be no race at all. There would be no dialogue. Voters would be denied a choice.

On Monday, I told you about an email that Orloski had sent to Browne over the weekend, asking him to reconsider his challenge. Rick’s best argument? “Elections are for voters, not judges.” It was a powerful message.

I doubt I’ll ever know whether Orloski’s email had the same impact on Browne that it had on me. I can’t really call him at his Senate office to discuss politics or the Attorney General will arrest both of us and throw away the key. But I’d like to think that Pat was moved by Rick’s email. What I do know is that, late yesterday afternoon, Browne’s proxies withdrew their challenge to Rick’s nomination petition.

They did the right thing.

I spoke with Rick late this afternoon, and he told me it’s really unfortunate to see so many nomination challenges this year. “Politicians are taking elections out of the hands of the people and putting them in the hands of judges.” Judges don’t like it, either. One Commonwealth Court judge, who shall remain nameless, complained “We’re overwhelmed. We need to work on other cases.”

Rick credited his legal team, the Allentown law firm of Crosslis & Brennan, for their work on his behalf. That firm also represented Mike Horton, the state rep candidate who was tailed by a Karen Beyer PI. Tim Brennan, one of these legal eagles, was reluctant to discuss details of either case, and instead told me he’s doing a lot of Equine law these days.

Equine law? Well, his experience in these nomination challenges definitely exposed him to few horses’ asses, including me.