Sept. 26, 2025 --The Commonwealth Court has upheld a special election to replace former Lackawanna County Commissioner Matt McGloin, who resigned in February. In doing so, Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey rejected the county Democratic Party Executive Committee’s attempt to scuttle the election.

Covey upheld the ruling of a Lackawanna Court of Common Pleas panel comprising Judges James Gibbons, Mary Walsh Dempsey and Michael Barrasse, that the executive committee was not entitled to an injunction against the election because it had failed to demonstrate that it or anyone else would suffer any harm if the election were to take place.

The election is scheduled for Nov. 4, in conjunction with the long-scheduled general election, so it will not entail any additional costs to the county government. It is one of 11 special elections for open seats among local governments in the county scheduled that day, including the race to replace former county Clerk of Courts Mauri Kelly, who resigned Sept. 2.

Covey also ruled against the executive committee’s argument that the county Board of Elections, which scheduled the special election, did not have the authority to do so. She wrote that the county home rule charter states that a special election “shall” be conducted, but does not specify which county body should schedule it.

The Board of Elections comprises Commissioners Bill Gaughan and Chris Chermak and county Judge Terrence Nealon. Gaughan and Nealon voted to conduct the special election; Chermak abstained.

“This ensures the transparency that should have been everyone’s priority from the outset,” Commissioner Bill Gaughan said. “It means that the people of Lackawanna County, rather than a self-interested group of politicos committed to a clandestine process, will choose the next commissioner. Light, in this case a special election with candidates making their cases directly to voters, truly is the best disinfectant.”

Read Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey's order here.