GOP Could Block Lindsey Williams From Taking State Senate Seat

WEST VIEW, PA - The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate is considering a January 1 vote against seating newly elected Democratic Sen. Lindsey Williams of West View.

The GOP majority is questioning the residency qualifications of Williams, an issue that surfaced prior to her narrowly defeating Republican Jeremy Shaffer of Ross by 793 votes. Williams is replacing Sen. Randy Vulakovich, whom Shaffer defeated in the GOP primary.

A lawsuit filed in Commonwealth Court prior to the November 6 election sought to remove Williams from the ballot. The lawsuit contended she did not meet the Pennsylvania constitution's four-year state residency requirement to hold the seat.

A judge threw out the lawsuit on a technicality, but the residency issue was not resolved.

Williams, 35, has asserted thats she accepted a job offer with the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers in the days before Nov. 6, 2014, and had begun moving from Maryland and finding an apartment by then.

Republicans have noted that Williams had a Maryland address on a Pennsylvania speeding ticket in November 2014, her not registering to vote in the state until December 2014 and social media postings suggesting she worked in Washington, D.C., through that November.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County, the chamber’s top Republican, has given Williams until Monday to submit information proving she met the residency requirement.

If Republicans refuse to seat Williams, Democrats could petition the state Supreme Court to review the matter. If the court decides the Senate has the last word on the residency qualifications, Williams would be forced to run again for the seat in a special election.

Williams' 38th District includes the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Highland Park and Lincoln-Lemington, as well as Ross, West View, Marshall, McCandless, Aspinwall, Blawnox, Brackenridge, Bradford Woods, Cheswick, Etna, Fox Chapel, Franklin Park, Millvale, Springdale, Tarentum, East
Deer, Fawn, Frazer, Hampton, Harmar, Harrison, Indiana, O'Hara, Pine, Richland, Springdale and West Deer.

Photo via Lindsey Williams campaign.

Subscribe to North Hills Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.