Tag Archives: Gloria Martin-Roberts

Papenfuse Wins Re-Election for Harrisburg Mayor; Council, School Board Set

November 7, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

The makeup of Harrisburg City Council will not change, as five sitting council members won election tonight.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse sailed to an easy reelection victory tonight, despite two candidates mounting late write-in bids.

With all 28 precincts reporting, Papenfuse garnered 3,782 votes. All write-in candidates together tallied 501.

Just days ago, two of Papenfuse’s defeated opponents in the Democratic primary, Gloria Martin-Roberts and Lewis Butts, declared that they would mount write-in campaigns in the general election. Both lost handily.

With his victory, Papenfuse will begin his second, four-year mayoral term in January.

Five Harrisburg City Council candidates also ran unopposed in their races. Council incumbents Wanda Williams, Shamaine Daniels and Ben Allatt each won four-year terms, as did newcomer Ausha Green. Councilman Dave Madsen earned a two-year seat.

Harrisburg Treasurer Dan Miller and Controller Charlie DeBrunner each ran unopposed and will serve four-year terms.

For school board, all the listed Democrats won four-year seats: Brian Carter, Carrie Fowler, Danielle Robinson and Judd Pittman. Incumbent James Thompson, who lost in the Democratic primary but cross-filed, lost on the Republican side tonight.

Percel Eiland, running unopposed, took the two-year seat for school board.

One district justice seat was contested. In the race for district 12-01-05. Democrat Hanif Johnson beat back Claude Phipps, who was on the Republican ballot, by a vote of 953-347.

In Dauphin County, Republican Matthew Krupp defeated Democrat Diane Bowman in a close race for prothonotary. In the heated contest for three Court of Common Pleas judgeships, sitting Judge Lori Serratelli lost to challengers Ed Marsico, Royce Morris and John McNally.

Homeless people recruited for election raffle scheme, denied pay by organizers

November 7, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Residents at the Bethesda Mission homeless shelter say they were recruited to promote a raffle outside of polling stations today.

The offer was enticing — $10 an hour for easy work.

On election day, men eager to earn money were shuttled to polling locations across the city, where they were told to hand voters raffle tickets as they entered the polls. Standing in rain that turned to sleet and snow, the men followed all the instructions given to them by their bosses, including the request that they not promote any one candidate.

But then they were told to collect their earnings at 8:00 p.m. at 308 N. 2nd Street – the campaign headquarters of Gloria Martin-Roberts, a write-in candidate for Harrisburg mayor.

Six men enrolled in the long-term recovery program at Bethesda Mission—five of whom were interviewed on the condition that TheBurg not name them in this article—say that they are being denied the money they were offered to distribute raffle tickets outside of polling places on election day. The tickets were accompanied by a flier advertising a chance to win a free iPhone X.

Dauphin County judge Scott Evans issued an injunction against the tickets and fliers today, outlawing their distribution during the county’s investigation. The injunction ordered sheriffs to report to polling places, seize the materials, and get the names and photographs of people proffering them.

The Bethesda Mission residents said that they were questioned and photographed by sheriffs, who told them that they hoped they would get the pay they were promised. The residents also confirmed that they were instructed to report to 308 N. 2nd street at 8 p.m. this evening to collect their earnings for the day — $110 in cash for 11 hours of work.

Now, they’re allegedly being told by the raffle organizers that they won’t receive payment until the county concludes its investigation into the scheme.

“We’re just trying to get paid,” one of the men said. “We stood outside all day and I want my money.”

At 8 p.m., the 2nd street office was darkened and locked, but a group of about 10 people waited outside to collect their money. The men from Bethesda Mission, who represented only a portion of the people who were recruited for the scheme, said they did not plan on going to the office.

Many Harrisburg residents expected today’s general election to be an uneventful affair. When men appeared outside of polling stations and gave voters raffle tickets and fliers, nobody knew what to think—but everyone agreed it was strange.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said city solicitor Neil Grover, who reviewed one of the fliers at the 11th ward polls, hosted inside the Neighborhood Center on 3rd Street, Tuesday evening.

Shamaine Daniels, a Harrisburg councilwoman who campaigned for Judge Lori Serratelli at the Neighborhood Center, didn’t know what to make of the raffle scheme.

“Usually, my antenna goes up when there’s a quid pro quo violation,” said Daniels, who is also attorney.

The legal term “quid pro quo” refers to a transactional exchange between two parties.

“But this was just so strange, I didn’t know what to think,” Daniels said.

When county officials arrived and issued the injunction against the raffle, people at the polls worried that the men handing out tickets were vulnerable.

“That’s what worried me, that innocent people would be in trouble,” said Sherry Summerfield, a Republican Party poll watcher at the Neighborhood Center. “They clearly had no idea what they were doing.”

Indeed, some of the men at Bethesda Mission did not know who Gloria Martin-Roberts was. They were told that the raffle tickets were meant to incentivize voting and were instructed to not promote any one candidate.

“They told us there was nothing wrong with it,” one man said about the raffle scheme.

They identified at least two people by photo who helped organize the raffle. They said that Kyle Myers, who appears in a Facebook video promoting the raffle, drove them to polling places. Other men identified Jennie Jenkins, a former mayoral candidate, as someone who brought them pizza and gave them instructions for engaging voters.

Myers did not respond to a message sent to his Facebook account on Tuesday night, and Jenkins declined to comment by phone.

Bill Christian, director of the men’s shelter at Bethesda Mission, said that candidates and political parties often recruit at the Mission during elections, offering men money to distribute campaign literature.

Christian did not know that the men were being roped into a legally murky scheme or that they’d be asked to share only limited information with voters.

“I would have never let them go if I’d known that,” Christian said.

The Mission residents said that they get few chances to earn cash and jumped at the opportunity to work the polls. Many of the men are nearing the end of their 12-month recovery program at the shelter, and were hoping to use the money when they leave.

“What everyone should be mad about is that they’re ripping off homeless people,” said one resident.

Another said that he kept his raffle tickets as a form of insurance in case he is denied pay.

“If they don’t pay me I have proof that I worked,” he said.

Attempts to reach Martin-Roberts and her campaign on Tuesday night were unsuccessful.

Dauphin County Sheriff Visits Martin-Roberts Campaign Office as Raffle Probe Mounts

November 7, 2017 | by By Lizzy Hardison and Lawrance Binda

The downtown Harrisburg building housing the campaign office of Gloria Martin-Roberts.

A raffle scheme offering voters the chance to win a free iPhone X has apparent connections to the Gloria Martin-Roberts mayoral campaign, but it is unclear whether the write-in candidate sanctioned it herself.

Dauphin County Sheriff Nicholas Chimienti Jr. and an investigator went to the Martin-Roberts campaign office on N. 2nd Street at about 4:45 p.m. this afternoon, where they spoke with staffers. At that time, a box with flyers advertising the raffle and flyers proclaiming, “Vote NO Papenfuse; Write in Gloria Martin Roberts,” were in the office, along with reams of blue raffle tickets.

Chimienti would not comment on the investigation as he left the campaign office just after 5 p.m.

Campaign staffers also declined to speak with reporters and became hostile when they tried to take photos inside or outside the office. People who said they were hired by the campaign to distribute flyers (pictured below) and raffle tickets also filed out of the building and declined to comment.

Several Harrisburg voters filed complaints today after receiving raffle tickets from men stationed at the entrances of polling places. At some locations, the tickets were accompanied by flyers advertising a voter turnout initiative offering voters the chance to win prizes if they voted. The raffle offered a free iPhone X, valued at $1,000, to a first-prize winner, $500 cash to a second-place winner, and a $200 Best Buy gift card to a third winner.

Subsequently, early this afternoon, Dauphin County Judge Arthur Evans issued an injunction that all raffle tickets be seized from precincts 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. He further ordered that all Dauphin County sheriffs visit all polling stations and seize all raffle tickets.

Devar Bailey of Harrisburg said he was stationed at the 10-1 polling location at Woodbine and N. 3rd streets. He got the job after answering a Craigslist ad offering $10 an hour to hand out materials that included pro-Martin-Roberts flyers and raffle tickets.

“A lot of people took it,” he said, adding that he was recruited by a woman he identified as “Jennie Jenkins.”

Jenkins, a former candidate for mayor, refused to be interviewed for this story, saying that all questions should be directed to her attorney.

At the same location, a poll watcher left behind a bag of flyers and raffle tickets, which was later obtained by TheBurg (pictured below).

Bailey said he was instructed to visit the Martin-Roberts headquarters on N. 2nd Street at 8 p.m. to get paid. He said he worked a total of nine hours, until 3 p.m., handing out material.

While Bailey was recruited by a Craigslist ad, other large groups of poll workers were recruited from local shelters, including Bethesda Mission and Downtown Daily Bread, according to sources.

Martin-Roberts lost to Mayor Eric Papenfuse in the May Democratic primary for mayor. She declared just last week that she would mount a write-in campaign for the seat.

This story was updated to include that Jennie Jenkins refused comment.

Raffle Tickets, Flyers Dent Harrisburg’s Mayoral Election

November 7, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Campaign signs line the State Street median in Harrisburg.

A Dauphin County judge issued an injunction today to stop the distribution of raffle tickets that appeared to encourage people to vote a certain way in the race for Harrisburg mayor.

People at many city polling stations were found to be handing out raffle tickets, which promised prizes including a new iPhone X (first prize), $500 in cash (second prize) and a $200 Best Buy gift card (third prize).

Winners, the ticket said, would be announced on a Facebook page called Harrisburg Mayoral Election 2017.

“The Court finds that the raffle ticket is also promoting of a particular race and suggestive of balloting,” according to the court order.

Judge Arthur Evans ordered that all raffle tickets be seized from precincts 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. He further ordered that all Dauphin County sheriffs visit all polling stations and seize all raffle tickets.

To promote the raffle, fliers were also handed out saying, “NO Papenfuse. Vote Write-in. Gloria Martin-Roberts. Stand for Equality.”

Just a few days ago, Martin-Roberts announced on Facebook that she would mount a late write-in campaign for mayor. She lost in the Democratic primary in May to incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse. Papenfuse also gained more write-in votes than Martin-Roberts from Republican voters, so also appears on the Republican ballot for mayor.

Polls close at 8 p.m.

June News Digest

May 31, 2017 | by TheBurg Editor

Papenfuse Re-nominated

Incumbent Eric Papenfuse secured the Democratic nomination for Harrisburg mayor last month by a wide margin, putting him in a strong position to serve a second term.

With all precincts reporting, Papenfuse tallied 2,663 votes versus 2,048 for his nearest challenger, former City Council President Gloria Martin-Roberts.

In his acceptance speech, Papenfuse said he was “troubled” that the city appeared so divided during the election and that turnout was low.

“I’m committed to uniting this divided city,” he said, speaking at his business, Midtown Scholar Bookstore.

He also said he would make a strong effort to pass a home rule charter for Harrisburg in a second term.

“Home rule is the path to the city’s sustainable future,” he said.

For her part, Martin-Roberts appeared disappointed in her second-place showing, as she gathered with about 30 supporters at the Harrisburg Elks Lodge.

“We ran a good, clean race,” she said. “We took the high road.”

Trailing the field were challengers Jennie Jenkins (506 votes), Lewis Butts (124 votes) and Anthony Harrell (74 votes).

No Republicans ran in the primary. Papenfuse still must win the general election on Nov. 7, but he stands a strong chance in a city that is overwhelmingly Democratic. In fact, he also secured the Republican nomination by collecting the most write-in votes on the GOP side.

Council Incumbents Victorious

Harrisburg City Council incumbents emerged with wins last month in the city’s Democratic primary, while the results were more mixed in school board races.

Ben Allatt, Wanda Williams and Shamaine Daniels each won nominations for four-year terms, as did challenger Ausha Green. No Republicans ran in the primary.

For city school board, Democratic incumbents Judd Pittman and Danielle Robinson won nominations for four-year terms, as did challengers Brian Carter and Carrie Fowler. Incumbent James Thompson lost nomination on the Democratic side but cross-filed, so will appear as a Republican candidate in the general election. Newcomer Percel Eiland ran unchallenged for the nomination for the board’s lone two-year seat.

In other races, incumbent city Treasurer Dan Miller and incumbent city Controller Charlie DeBrunner ran unopposed, thus securing the Democratic nomination. There was no Republican challenger for either office.

Several races for magisterial district justice were hotly contested.

Incumbent Barbara Pianka defeated newcomer Josh Feldman for the Democratic nomination for district 12-1-02. Both candidates cross-filed for the Republican nomination, and, though very close, Pianka also won that race.

In Harrisburg district 12-1-04, incumbent Justice David O’Leary narrowly defeated former Harrisburg Treasurer Tyrell Spradley for the Democratic nomination. No Republicans competed for the seat.

And, in an open seat for district 12-1-05, Hanif Johnson came out ahead in a crowded Democratic field, defeating Harrisburg Councilwoman Destini Hodges, former Councilman Kelly Summerford and newcomer Claude Phipps. Only Phipps cross-filed on the Republican side, so he secured that nomination.

All of the winners must compete in November’s general election.

Illegal Gun Roundup

The Harrisburg Bureau of Police announced last month it has taken 82 illegally owned guns off the street from January to May.

Community policing, with a focus on getting firearms from illegal owners, helped the bureau obtain the 82 guns, said Police Chief Thomas Carter. He credited his bureau’s leadership, professionalism and training for rounding up the illegally owned guns with minimal injury.

“There are two guns right there: the police officer’s gun and the bad guy’s gun,” he said. “Those are opportunities that things could go bad or someone could get seriously hurt or even killed.”

Capt. Deric Moody asked Harrisburg residents for their support.

“Please continue to help us,” he said. “At least 13 weapons came from citizens picking up the phone and saying, ‘Here’s what I know, here’s what I found.’”

The guns will be destroyed if they cannot be returned to their legal owner, police officials said.

More Affordable Housing

Officials broke ground last month on the construction of affordable housing units on Hummel Street in Allison Hill.

Three units will be completely gutted and renovated, while five units will be demolished to make way for new townhouses for purchase by low-income families, said Gary Lenker, executive director of Tri-County Housing Development Corp.

The $2.25 million project, administered by Tri-County, is supported by grants from HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program, Dauphin County’s gaming grant program and the nonprofit, Impact Harrisburg.

The affordable housing project on Hummel Street plays into the city’s coordinated focus on the MulDer Square neighborhood near Mulberry and Derry streets, said Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse. A total of $31 million for housing, streetscape and infrastructure development is slated to flow to that area, he said.

“[This is] a tidal wave that can change the community,” he said.

Steelton Skate Park

Construction started last month on a skate park in Steelton Municipal Park.

Dauphin County commissioners Jeff Haste, Mike Pries and George Hartwick joined Steelton Council President Jeffrey Wright and Borough Manager Doug Brown to break ground on the project.

This will be the first skate park in Dauphin County. The skate park will replace the tennis courts, which officials said were underutilized. Plans include a dozen concrete skating features, including a bowl, officials said.

Homes Sales Jump

The spring home-buying season got off to a strong start, with area home sales jumping 16.8 percent in April.

For the month, 863 homes sold in the region compared to 739 sales in April 2016, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors. The median sales price increased to $174,160 from $160,000, and average days on the market fell to 68 from 83.

In Dauphin County, sales totaled 288 units versus 255 in the year-ago period, while the median price jumped to $158,900 versus $139,900, said GHAR. Cumberland County sales increased to 327 units from 249 in April 2016, and the median price rose to $189,900 from $175,000.

In Perry County, 34 homes sold versus 35 in the year-ago period, while the median price was $123,387, a drop from $133,500.

GHAR covers all of Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties and parts of York, Lebanon and Juniata counties.

So Noted

Excel Interior Concepts & Construction of Lemoyne has received three awards for residential remodeling projects completed in 2016, including two awards in the best kitchen renovation category and one in the best bathroom renovation category. The recognition from the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg came during the annual Pyramid Awards event.

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission last month appointed Patrick C. Morrison as site administrator to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. Morrison, formerly the museum’s education director, replaced Jeffrey Bliemeister.

Roman Colon has been named the 2017 Oliver LaGrone Scholar, given each year to a graduate of Harrisburg High School. With the $7,000 scholarship, Colon plans to attend Penn State Harrisburg to study civil engineering.

Sweets on Market, an ice cream shop in Strawberry Square along Market Street, celebrated its grand opening last month. Mayor Eric Papenfuse, Harristown CEO Brad Jones and John Fulponi from state Sen. John DiSanto’s office joined owner TJ Grewel for a ribbon cutting.

TheBurg picked up 14 awards last month at the annual Keystone Press Awards banquet sponsored by the PA News Media Association Foundation. These included first-place awards for column writing, business/consumer story, feature photo and graphic/photo illustration, as well as the prestigious “Sweepstakes” award for best performance in our category.

Changing Hands

Bellevue Rd., 1914: C. Johnson to K. Bailey, $60,000

Boas St., 213: T. Stark to B. Wagner, $96,000

Boas St., 426: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development to N. Spence, $65,000

Briggs St., 1506: C. Jackson & K. Roach to S. Swartz, $110,000

Chestnut St., 2411: J. Andrews Jr. to P. & A. Maple, $140,000

Emerald St., 220: C. Shokes to HBG Rents LLC, $35,000

Jefferson St., 2635: A. & E. Ballard & S. Cornish to F. Brannon & H. Cabrera, $42,000

Kensington St., 2311: CJR Rentals LLC to L. Johnson & J. Ardrey, $68,000

Market St., 1912 & 1519 N. 6th St.: Rogue Enterprises LLC to CPenn Patriot Properties Midtown, $87,621

Muench St., 220: WCI Partners LP to Q. Vandermeersch, $172,000

Muench St., 608: LSF9 Master Participation List to Buonarroti Trust, $30,000

2nd St., 3217: M. Ruff to N. & L. Swett, $90,000

3rd St., 2447: Triple J. Associates Ltd. To Keynet Business Network Inc., $60,000

4th St., 1631: GWD Capitol Heights LP to K. Prince, $103,900

5th St., 2522: Rivas Property Investments LLC to I. Mirambeaux, $35,000

Front St., 1525, Unit 104: D. Waltz to D. & M. Liberatore, $123,000

Front St., 1525, Unit 501: C. Markley to C. Keefauver, $179,900

Front St., 1525, Unit 614: C. Fetterhoff Jr. to J. & D. Sciortino, $90,000

Front St., 1705: WCI Partners Inc. to Harrisburg Redevelopment Group LLC, $1,316,161

Peffer St., 224: D. Leaman to N. Dohner, $168,000

Penn St., 1624: M. Anderson & Y. Dilman to S. Hickey, $139,900

Regina St., 1440: M. Naranjo to CTD Group LLC, $30,000

Regina St., 1600: K. Yoder to J. Hendricks, $130,000

Reily St., 263: Nish Properties LLC to Cool2Zap Properties LLC, $180,000

Rudy Rd., 2492: US Bank NA to My Neighbor LLC, $33,600

Rumson Dr., 269: L. & J. Lewis to K. Bowman, $79,900

Showers St., 613: J. & B. Wildeman to L. Plummer, $160,000

3rd St., 11: Market View LP, Brickbox Enterprises Ltd. & Property Management Inc. to SOMA Associates LLC, $165,000

13th St., 1039 & 1300 Sycamore St.: Graybar Electric Co. to Brooks Property Holdings LLC, $720,000

17th St., 830: Greenleaf Investment Properties LLC to S. Flores, $35,000

21st St., 755: V. Tran to B. Zimmerman, $33,000

State St., 231, Unit 302: LUX 1 LP to E. Dice II, $107,000

Susquehanna St., 2306 & 2314: J. Cuevas & I. Padua to A. Salgado, $80,000

Swatara St., 2415: J. Saul to P. Mackie & M. Swanger, $160,000

Verbeke St., 213: J. & S. Bircher to J. & E. High, $135,000

Wiconisco St., 403: Willowscott Investments LLC to J. Negley, $113,800

Harrisburg property sales for April 2017, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Author: Lawrance Binda

TheBurg Podcast, May 18, 2017

May 18, 2017 | by TheBurg Editor

Welcome to TheBurg Podcast, a weekly roundup of news in and around Harrisburg.

May 18, 2017: This week, editor-in-chief Lawrance Binda and city reporter Danielle Roth discuss Tuesday’s primary election. Binda shares details from Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s victory party at the Midtown Scholar. Roth describes the scene at mayoral challenger Gloria Martin-Roberts’ election night party. They talk mayoral campaign strategies, what surprised them about the primary election results, and their “Most Harrisburg Thing This Week.”

Subscribe to TheBurg Podcast on iTunes and Google Play.

Special thanks to Paul Cooley, who wrote our theme music. Check out his podcast, the PRC Show on iTunes.

Find the stories related to this week’s podcast:

Papenfuse Wins Re-nomination for Harrisburg Mayor; Council Incumbents Successful

Burg Blog: Some of Harrisburg

May 17, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Gloria Martin-Roberts talks to the media last night.

“I want to be mayor of all of Harrisburg.”

So said Gloria Martin-Roberts as she threw her hat into the ring last November, a phrase she repeated, in varying ways, umpteen times over the following months. In fact, you could say it was the theme of her campaign for mayor.

So, did she do that? The numbers say no.

Martin-Roberts did well where everyone expected her to do well—in Uptown and much of Allison Hill. However, she got clobbered in the so-called “river wards,” and that proved to be her Achilles’ heel in the election.

Let’s dig into some data.

Martin-Roberts did best on her home turf (no surprise) in Uptown Harrisburg. In the four precincts of sprawling Ward 10, she tallied 498 votes, nearly one-quarter of her total of 2,048. In contrast, incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse limped in with 314 votes, winning just one small precinct that borders the river. She also did well in wards 7 and 8, industrial and residential areas of northern Allison Hill.

Papenfuse, though, killed it down by the river. He won by more than 100 votes in Ward 4 (northern downtown), and wards 5, 6, 11 and 12 (all of Midtown from Forster to Maclay streets) and Ward 14 (Riverside/Italian Lake). His overwhelming margins in these wards swamped his challengers, proving to be far too much ground for Martin-Roberts to make up.

While, in her concession speech, Martin-Roberts blamed the media and, weirdly, the electorate for her loss, she really can only blame her own campaign’s flawed, Trump-like strategy—digging deep into her base, trying to squeeze every vote from a handful of precincts and wards.

It is certainly fine if, as a candidate, you base your campaign in certain parts of the city or certain demographics, but you can’t stop there. That’s basically what Martin-Roberts did, never really reaching out to voters outside of her core constituency, thus ceding wide swaths of Harrisburg to her opponents.

Her low-energy campaign also did not help, since trying to unseat an incumbent requires months of vigorous, sustained effort. Lastly, she did nothing to court new voters in Harrisburg, too often invoking that tired “us vs. them” attitude that means nothing to newcomers.

Interestingly, challenger Jennie Jenkins seemed to spread out her support best of the five candidates. She only received 506 votes, but they came from all over the place—a little here, a little there.

In the end, Martin-Roberts lost by more than 600 votes to Papenfuse, a substantial margin in the light-turnout election. If she had run to represent all of Harrisburg, as she repeatedly promised, she might have stood a chance. But she didn’t do that. She was basically invisible from Shipoke to Riverside, giving people in the growing, diverse neighborhoods along the river little reason to vote for her.

Author: Lawrance Binda

Papenfuse Wins Re-nomination for Harrisburg Mayor; Council Incumbents Successful

May 16, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse makes his victory speech tonight at Midtown Scholar Bookstore.

Incumbent Eric Papenfuse secured the Democratic nomination for Harrisburg mayor today by a wide margin, putting him in a strong position to serve a second term.

With all precincts reporting, Papenfuse tallied 2,663 votes versus 2,048 for his nearest challenger, former City Council President Gloria Martin-Roberts.

In his acceptance speech, Papenfuse said he was “troubled” that the city appeared so divided during the election and that turnout was low.

“I’m committed to uniting this divided city,” he said, speaking at his business, Midtown Scholar Bookstore.

He also said he would make a strong effort to pass a home rule charter for Harrisburg in his next term.

“Home rule is the path to the city’s sustainable future,” he said.

For her part, Martin-Roberts appeared very disappointed in her second-place showing, as she gathered with about 30 supporters at the Harrisburg Elks Lodge.

“We ran a good, clean race,” she said. “We took the high road.”

She said she would “continue to serve the community,” but then took a jab at the people who didn’t vote for her.

“I respect the electorate,” she said. “If they want another term of misery, that’s fine.”

Gloria Martin-Roberts (second from right) speaks to her supporters, including city Treasurer Dan Miller, following her loss in the Democratic primary race for Harrisburg mayor.

Trailing the field were challengers Jennie Jenkins (506 votes), Lewis Butts (124 votes) and Anthony Harrell (74 votes).

No candidates ran for the Republican nomination. However, Papenfuse still could face a Republican opponent in the Nov. 7 general election based on Republican write-in votes, which were not tallied at press time. In addition, city resident Chris Siennick has said he plans to run in the general election as an independent.

In other races, Harrisburg City Council incumbents Ben Allatt, Wanda Williams and Shamaine Daniels each won Democratic nominations for four-year terms, as did challenger Ausha Green. No Republicans ran in the primary.

For city school board, Democratic incumbents Judd Pittman and Danielle Robinson won nominations for four-year terms, as did challengers Brian Carter and Carrie Fowler. Incumbent James Thompson lost renomination on the Democratic side but cross-filed, so will appear as a Republican candidate in the general election. Newcomer Percel Eiland ran unchallenged for the nomination for the board’s lone two-year seat.

Incumbent city Treasurer Dan Miller and incumbent city Controller Charlie DeBrunner ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. There was no Republican challenger for either office.

Several races for magisterial district justice were hotly contested.

Incumbent Barbara Pianka defeated newcomer Josh Feldman for the Democratic nomination for district 12-1-02. Both candidates cross-filed for the Republican nomination, but that race was too close to call at press time.

In Harrisburg district 12-1-04, incumbent Justice David O’Leary defeated former Harrisburg Treasurer Tyrell Spradley for the Democratic nomination. No Republicans competed for the seat.

All of tonight’s winners must compete in November’s general election.

Reporter Danielle Roth contributed to this story.

This story was updated with late results to show that incumbent David O’Leary defeated challenger Tyrell Spradley for the Democratic nomination for magisterial district justice.

Author: Lawrance Binda

Burg Blog: Vote Here

May 16, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Campaign signs along Verbeke Street in Harrisburg.

And we vote.

Today, the people of Harrisburg go to the polls to conclude a once-anemic mayoral campaign that seemed to go from zero to 100 mph overnight.

It wasn’t long ago (last month) that I complained that the two assumed frontrunners, incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse and former City Council President Gloria Martin-Roberts, were largely invisible from most voters. Boy, did that change fast.

Over the past two weeks, we’ve had three mayoral debates, endless social media posts by candidates and their surrogates and a flood of last-minute, often-entertaining, sometimes-vicious direct mail.

It may not be the way I would have run a campaign, but what do I know? I’m just a desk jockey with an opinion and some readers.

So, what are some takeaways from the just-concluded mayoral primary campaign, and what might we think about as we go to the polls today?

Campaigns Matter
I don’t mean to sound like a broken record on this issue, since I’ve written about it repeatedly. However, a well-run, committed campaign can make up for a variety of candidate ills.

Papenfuse and Martin-Roberts ran similar campaigns in the sense that the general electorate had little idea from them that an election was approaching until maybe three weeks ago. Then the floodgates opened.

Since then, Papenfuse has relied on a strategy of using the power of incumbency (another ribbon-cutting!) and the power of money (how much direct mail can one man send?) to spread his message that Harrisburg has been well served under his leadership and wouldn’t be under Martin-Roberts. For her part, Martin-Roberts has stuck to her message that she would represent all of Harrisburg, a slap at Papenfuse that, while perhaps effective months ago, hasn’t done much to expand her base since. Policy-wise, the positions between these two candidates are not far apart.

Without question, challenger Jennie Jenkins has run the most dynamic campaign. Months ago, while the other campaigns were napping, she was out hustling for votes. As a result, I expect her to perform pretty well when the votes are tallied tonight, and she may even play a spoiler role in determining the next mayor of Harrisburg.

The Debates
Typically, I don’t regard candidate debates as having a big impact on a race since they’re often attended by the usual assortment of activists and super-voters who’ve already made up their minds. However, this race may be an exception.

All three mayoral debates were well attended and televised, which makes my little civic engagement heart go pitter-patter. But they also gave thousands of people exposure to the candidates in a way you simply can’t get from your 20^th piece of horrible direct mail.

Reasonable people may disagree with my analysis, but I thought that Papenfuse had three solid debates, with the final one at H*MAC his strongest, as, as the incumbent, he showed a mastery of policy and detail that none of the challengers could touch. Martin-Roberts seemed to go in the opposite direction performance-wise, congenial in the first debate but appearing upset and defensive in the last.

I thought that challenger Lewis Butts was consistently Lewis Butts, a big thinker, a dreamer, unorthodox in style and impractical in substance. Jenkins may have had the worst combined performance, not doing particularly well in any of the three. And she certainly had the worst single moment when she gave a halting, unsure response when asked, in the third debate, about her past tax-payment problems.

Over the course of the debates, I noticed the greatest growth from challenger Anthony Harrell. Most residents first encountered the newcomer at the initial debate. But he quickly established an identity as a no-nonsense, law-and-order type, perfecting that image by the third debate. His soldierly manner, full-throated support of gun rights and tendency to start answers with the phrase, “My fellow American patriots,” may not appeal to everyone, but it may appeal to enough conservative registered Democrats (yes, there are some) that he could do much better than I would have imagined a month ago.

The Attacks
I would date the start of this campaign to November, when Martin-Roberts declared her candidacy before a packed room at the National Civil War Museum. There, she stated what she hoped would be her path to victory—a claim that the current mayor (she never actually said his name) did not represent all of Harrisburg. In that sense, the campaign began on a negative.

And, indeed, she has continued that line of attack. This criticism, though, has had two problems. First, it seemed to peak early as, in the debates, Papenfuse tried to dilute it by repeatedly stating his efforts outside of Midtown. Secondly, if voters don’t agree with her supposition, Martin-Roberts has offered little other reason to vote for her. Meanwhile, Papenfuse has tried to mend some of the frayed relationships from earlier in his term, countering, with some success, another criticism.

Papenfuse eventually found his own line of attack—that a vote for Martin-Roberts was a vote to return to a more troubled time in Harrisburg’s recent history. The Papenfuse campaign may have overstated former Mayor Steve Reed’s support of Martin-Roberts, which, as far as we can tell, was limited to a single fundraising plea. However, it cannot exaggerate the involvement of James Ellison, a former Reed crony and Linda Thompson strategist who serves as her treasurer and key campaign adviser. Papenfuse’s attacks may not steal any of Martin-Roberts’ vote, but it may help solidify his own support or motivate some fence-sitters to flip the lever for him.

Turnout
Ultimately, all close elections depend on turnout, and this one should be no exception. Ellison is regarded as a master of getting out the vote, so we’ll see if he retains his touch or if his involvement has turned into a negative. In my opinion, Ellison has violated a cardinal rule of the political operative–stay out of the limelight, which belongs to the candidate. His social media posts, which include some reckless, accusatory comments, have done no favors for Martin-Roberts.

The x-factor in his election may end up being new voters. Fresh faces are everywhere and, since the last mayoral four years ago, a number of new apartment buildings have filled up. The involvement of first-time voters may upend the best calculations of old-time political watchers.

As you venture to the polls, please remember that the battle for Harrisburg mayor is not the only primary race out there. In the city, four council seats and five school board seats also are at stake. In addition, there have been heated contests in races for magisterial district justice and judgeships.

The polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The weather is fantastic. Get out there and make your voice heard!

Author: Lawrance Binda

Final Mayoral Debate: Candidates throw last punches, address campaign issues

May 12, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

Harrisburg’s five mayoral candidates made a final push for votes last night in a concluding mayoral debate that turned heated at times.

Moderators Blake Lynch and Mark Hall, an ABC27 reporter, kept the debate civil, though the town hall-style event at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center kicked off to a feisty start.

Moderators Blake Lynch, left, and ABC27 Reporter Mark Hall, right, stand in front of mayoral candidates, from left to right, Lewis Butts, Gloria Martin-Roberts, Mayor Eric Papenfuse, Anthony Harrell and Jennie Jenkins.

Challenger Gloria Martin-Roberts started her opening remarks by separating herself from two former mayors, who both have indicated support for her, as well as her campaign treasurer, James Ellison.

“My name is not Linda Thompson, it’s not James Ellison and it’s not Stephen Reed,” Martin-Roberts said. “Some of you may be confused by the negative mailers that you have received over the past couple of weeks…They’ve had their time.”

She then criticized a PennLive article about a letter that Reed sent to encourage a friend to donate to the Martin-Roberts campaign. She said she did not ask Reed to write the letter to request the donation.

Likewise, incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse responded to campaign rhetoric from the Martin-Roberts camp. He referenced a Facebook post from Ellison that claimed Papenfuse purchased properties while mayor.

“I have not purchased any investment properties since taking office,” he said, adding that his wife also has not purchased any properties since he was elected mayor in 2013. “This is a ridiculous falsehood of my character.”

He asked Martin-Roberts to admit to the falsehood and have Ellison take down his Facebook post.

Martin-Roberts said she would not have Ellison take down the post. She pulled out several mailers sent by Papenfuse’s campaign that link her to Harrisburg’s old guard, while saying, “This is lack of character.”

Later in the debate, Martin-Roberts did say sorry.

“I apologize for losing my temper,” she said.

Challengers Jennie Jenkins, Anthony Harrell and Lewis Butts also addressed issues that have arisen over the course of their campaigns, as moderators fired questions from the community during the second half of the 90-minute event.

Jenkins addressed her termination from her position as police officer with the city. Last year, Jenkins entered a county program meant for first-time offenders charged with nonviolent crimes. This came after the city suspended her in 2013 after accusing her of taking $7,000 from the Police Athletic League.

Moderators asked why she entered this program if she maintained her innocence in the theft case.

“It was a way I could move on with my life,” she said, adding that she spent two-and-a-half years without income while tied up in the lawsuit.

Moderators bluntly asked Harrell, “Who are you, and where have you been?” They followed up and asked specifically about his community or church involvement aside from his two well-known biographical details: that he served in the armed forces and now studies full-time at Central Penn College.

“I lived in the community, purchased from stores, and I send my children to schools,” he said.

Butts touted his Harrisburg First plan, which includes a citywide Wi-Fi network, a shopping mall at PennDOT and, most notably, a hydroelectric dam in the Susquehanna River.

He called himself the “revenue candidate.”

“The hydro-power dam [would bring in] a lot of extra money for roads, scholarships and anything that we need,” he said.

With the final mayoral debate complete, voters get the last word on Tuesday, May 16, with the primary election.

Author: Danielle Roth

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