Republican Party of Luzerne County makes primary endorsements

The Republican Party of Luzerne County has endorsed six county council candidates and others for the May 16 primary election, county Republican Party Chairman P.J. Pribula said Thursday night.

Pribula said the executive board decided to endorse the following council candidates: Carl Bienias III, Anthony Corrado, LeeAnn McDermott, Matthew Mitchell, Kimberly Platek and Richard Tihansky. Bienias, Mitchell and McDermott currently serve on council.

The party also is endorsing incumbent county District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, who is running unopposed, and state judicial candidates Carolyn Carluccio (Supreme Court), Harry Smail Jr. (Superior Court), Maria Battista (Superior Court) and Megan Martin (Commonwealth Court).

In the county council race, 12 Republicans are seeking the party’s six nominations, which means only half will make it past the primary. The other contenders are Thomas Dombroski, Gregory W. Griffin, Harry Haas, Ronald D. Knapp, Vivian Kreidler-Licina and Stephen J. Urban. Only Urban is an incumbent.

Pribula said it’s an old tradition for the party to decide whether or not to endorse before a primary, and the executive board decided to exercise the option this year.

“A lot of the motivation has been driven by the fact that there is a group that is calling themselves the Luzerne County Republicans, and they have actually taken to Facebook and purported to have an endorsed slate. A lot of the executive members and myself are taking a great deal of exception to that because it’s quite obvious that they are trying to present themselves as the endorsed party, and they are not,” Pribula said.

“I think everybody said we need to let the people know that the real Republican party — the Republican Party of Luzerne County — is making the endorsement that counts, and the other one is just a couple of individuals that are trying to hijack the system,” Pribula added.

Newport Township resident T.J. Fitzgerald said he formed the other group — Luzerne County Republicans — at least eight months ago. He and the approximately 20 to 30 people actively involved in developing the group have decided to endorse Urban, Griffin and Haas, he said.

The group’s website says its mission is to have Republican candidates win every election and elect great Republicans to positively affect tomorrow’s society and “restore a free, safe, and anti-woke society.”

Fitzgerald said the name of his group has “already caused friction” but was chosen because it describes the members.

“We’re Republicans. That’s who we are. We don’t pretend to be the party,” he said.

He said the group has created a political action committee that will document receipts from selling merchandise of Donald Trump and others. All funds will be used to promote candidates, Fitzgerald said.

“Nobody will make a dime. It’s all volunteer,” he said.

Post-primary, Fitzgerald said the group will support all six nominated Republican council candidates advancing to the November general election.

“The goal is to elect Republicans,” he said.