GOP committee races signal ‘turf wars’ in county party

• By Jaxon White/LNP | LancasterOnline

Republican committee races in Manheim Township and other parts of the county saw establishment candidates fend off challenges from some of the grassroots groups that sprung up in the wake of the 2020 election.

Manheim Township GOP area chair John Bear said incumbent members of his committee were “targeted” this year by Elizabethtown chair Nicky Woods and members of FreePA, a conservative group born in opposition to former Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

He said the township’s sheer size, with 23 separate districts, “tends to create turf wars” among ambitious Republicans who want to gain favor with its members.

But Bear said Woods’ interest in his area this year was “unprecedented.”

He said Woods told the crowd at the Elizabethtown Area Republican Committee’s Lincoln Day Dinner in February that the primary was the time to replace Manheim Township’s current lineup with more conservative members.

“I’ve never heard of (an) outside area chairman getting involved in other people’s districts,” said Bear. “If you’re not living in someone else’s district, how do you know what is important to voters there? It’s none of your business because you’re not elected to represent them.”

Bear added that Woods’ status as the elected county clerk of courts, a position she won with the endorsement and financial support of Republican county commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray D’Agostino, also muddies the waters.

“I don’t think it’s ever good when elected officials … get involved in individual committee races,” Bear said.

Woods did not respond to a request for comment.

Several candidates who led failed bids for the Manheim Township Committee this year can be seen in photographs posted to the Elizabethtown Area Republican Committee Facebook page.

Tabitha Valleau, who helped found FreePA and was a key ally of state Sen. Doug Mastriano in 2022, secured just 29% of 284 total ballots cast in her race in District 16. Joe Augeri, a member of the security team for state Sen. Doug Mastriano during his 2022 gubernatorial run, also lost his District 16 run with less than a third of the votes.

In Manheim Township’s District 13, Chad and Becky Casey lost their challenge to two incumbent committee members. Both Caseys were at the Elizabethtown dinner in February.

Meanwhile, Eric Beezer, who had help from Valleau and Augeri in obtaining petition signatures for his state House campaign, beat Thomas Ponessa in District 15. Ponessa is one of the largest Lancaster County donors to Republican candidates and the state party.

Well outside of Manheim Township, Solanco GOP area chair Scott Frantz said members of his committee identified several people involved with FreePA who were handing out sample ballots at precincts in Bart, Providence, Colerain and Little Britain. The samples urged write-in votes for a handful of uncontested committee seats.

“Groups like FreePA want to get their groups on so they can influence things,” Frantz said.

In the Blue Ball section of East Earl Township, Peggy and Joe Buhalo lost their challenge to incumbent committee members. Peggy Buhalo is the president of Patriots for PA and participated in a Feb. 29 protest outside Lancaster County Courthouse in support of Amish farmer Amos Miller. Patriots for PA was a key backer of Dave Nissley’s primary challenge to state Rep. Bryan Cutler and has worked with FreePA and other groups.