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A four-way state House race in Lebanon County unlike any other

(Harrisburg) — The four candidate race for the 102nd state House District seat in Lebanon County may be unlike any other:ballot challenges, YouTube videos, and constant personal attacks have obscured the issues at times.

The back and forth started before the May primary, and has only intensified as Election Day approaches.

Before the Republican primary, two candidates were kicked off the ballot for falling short of voter signature requirements.

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Photo by Courtesy

But Wanda Bechtold is back, running as a write-in candidate.

“I was probably the one that created the mess by running in the first place. Again, after receiving 47% of the votes, I don’t take money from them, I don’t take money from any special interests group,” she says.

Bechtold is just one of three candidates who could be classified as Republicans.

Bechtold, Russ Diamond, and Robert McAteer all support changes to the state employee pension system and overhauling property taxes.

“Not one of them has done anything to promote it, they’ve not attended meetings, they’ve not rallied, they’ve not done anything. So I think we’re getting lip service there because they know that’s what people want to hear,” says Bechtold. She says she’s putting in the work though.

McAteer got into the crowded race as an independent in late July.

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“It wasn’t that much of a factor. I don’t know that I see a rift per say. I said I wanted to give voters the option they didn’t necessarily have in the primary, and also try to cure some of the dysfunction in Harrisburg,” he says.

He uses his experience both in and out of government as a way to capture interest.

“Having a background as an attorney, I’ve had to work with other sides with differing views to reach a common consensus to move a case forward and to reach a resolution that’s beneficial to everybody, and that’s the track I want to approach with Harrisburg,” says McAteer.

The winner of May’s Republican primary, Diamond, is a name familiar to many as the founder of a reform group, PA Clean Sweep, that worked to vote incumbents out of the Legislature after they voted to raise their pay in 2005.

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Photo by Courtesy

Among his priorities is a shift to a two-year budgeting process.

“That’ll end a lot of the dancing around that goes on an annual basis in Harrisburg where people make promises revenue wise to certain special interest and then build that into the budget and at the end of the year we find, oh we didn’t raise that much money,” says Diamond.

He’s faced criticism over personal issues, including protection from abuse orders filed by two women that were later withdrawn and a YouTube video in which he calls police officers pigs.

He claims both PFA’s were based on false accusations, and says he was manipulated in the video.

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Photo by Courtesy

“I know that there are some people in Harrisburg that fear me coming there because of what I’ve done in the past. But the truth of the matter is I’m not going up to throw bombs. I’m going up to find the people I can work with,” says Diamond.

Meanwhile, Jake Long, the Democratic candidate in the 102nd, sees opportunity in the chaos on the Republican side, and is supporting gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf.

“He wants to tax Marcellus Shale dollar for dollar for education. What that will do, that will up the contribution level and take off that push for higher and higher property taxes.”

Adds Long: “The Republicans are divided, I have a lot of support. I think my message is broad based. I think my message appeals to the average worker out there, the working people.”

The current representative in the seat, Rosemarie Swanger, is retiring, and has endorsed Diamond’s campaign.

The 102nd includes North and South Lebanon Townships, plus Annville and Cleona Boroughs.

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