A day after posting on her campaign Facebook page that she had suspended her candidacy, Maryanne Cole says she is still considering whether to continue her challenge of incumbent Republican Martin Causer for his House of Representatives seat.
In a statement Tuesday, Cole, of Bradford, said she has several lawyers and Democratic officials studying whether she has the right to appeal a decision to deny her a spot on the November ballot.
“We have fought so hard to get to this point, it would be a serious disappointment to drop out of the race without considering all of the options,” Cole said.
At issue is the timing of paperwork filed with the Department of State for placement on the November ballot. Cole said she has copies of certified letters that say she met the deadlines. In addition, she received text messages indicating her paperwork was received within the allotted time.
At issue is where in the State Department itself the documents were received.
Cole said she received word that paperwork required for ethics department rules was filed on a timely basis, while documents required in the election bureau never reached the proper officials within the required timeline.
There are multiple filings required by the state but Cole said she is confident she met all the required deadlines. She maintained she was informed that some paperwork left in one office in Harrisburg could have easily been delivered to the related office but, for whatever reason, it was not.
One official had noted Monday that candidates are routinely asked to file paperwork in person to avoid any mix-up.
“Given the seven-hour drive to Harrisburg and the reliability of certified mail, Cole opted to file by U.S. mail,” her statement noted.
“How one hand in Harrisburg can be so completely unaware of what the other hand is doing is beyond me, but that appears to be the situation,” she added. “Some people have suggested this is nothing more than ‘dirty politics,’ but I’m not prepared yet to make that assertion. We will see.”
Cole had won a write-in position on the Democratic line by receiving 308 votes in the May primary from people in the three counties which comprise the 67th District, McKean, Potter and Cameron. Causer, of Turtlepoint, has rarely if ever faced opposition since he was first elected more than a decade ago.
Causer could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
Cole, who holds a doctorate from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio, returned to her hometown of Bradford several years ago and had owned the Willows restaurant and taught at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. She currently teaches at Archbishop Walsh Academy in Olean.
