Murphy unseats Shimkus

Published: Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Updated: Wednesday, November 5, 2008 4:03 AM EST

A swarm of supporters standing along Market Street on Tuesday night began chanting “State Rep Kev!” as the newly elected 113th Legislative District representative pulled up to Stirna’s restaurant on Providence Square.

Former Scranton City Council President Kevin Murphy — who defeated incumbent state Rep. Frank Andrews Shimkus by 1,348 votes, 14,872 to 13,524 — embraced his mother, Mary Kluck, who had been waiting anxiously all night to see her victorious son.

“This district is about change. It’s about giving government back to the people,” Mr. Murphy told a crowd of about 150, surrounded by his wife, Denise, and two of their children. “I want to be your agent of change in Harrisburg.”

Mr. Shimkus, a first-term Democrat, started out Tuesday night relaxed in his fifth-floor suite at the Ramada Inn in Clarks Summit while waiting for poll workers to phone in results.

“At this point, we’ve done everything we can, win or lose. But I expect to win,” he said.

But at 9:40 p.m., he made his way down to the hotel’s ballroom to address supporters and concede.

“It appears we will not be going back to Harrisburg, but I want to thank everybody who worked so absolutely hard for us. ... We had a great two years,” he said, clutching his wife’s hand.

During his speech, Mr. Shimkus attributed his loss to a “powerful straight Democratic vote.”

“It turned out to be a very big night for the Democrats. Unfortunately, I was on the Republican side,” he said.

Mr. Shimkus won the Republican nomination through a write-in campaign after a judge threw his name off the primary ballot. The judge had ruled that Mr. Shimkus knowingly used an incorrect address on his nominating petitions.

Mr. Murphy captured the Democratic nomination.

After his concession speech, Mr. Shimkus spoke briefly to the media, addressing questions about the impact of his opponent’s allegations of perjury or claiming per-diems to which he was not entitled.

“Did I lose because of the allegations and the negative campaigning? I really don’t think so,” Mr. Shimkus said.

In September, Mr. Murphy’s campaign distributed a “memorandum” that cross-referenced Mr. Shimkus’ testimony from a Commonwealth Court hearing on the residency issue with House records.

Mr. Murphy alleged Mr. Shimkus either perjured himself in his testimony or collected nearly $2,000 in per diems for 13 days in December and January when he might not have been in Harrisburg.

Mr. Shimkus, however, said he simply could not remember the exact dates for his three-day hospital stay after a fall that led to a concussion and, later, a six-day stay at a retreat.

In his victory speech Tuesday, Mr. Murphy addressed some of the claims he made during the campaign.

“Kevin Murphy is not going to take advantage of taxpayers. Kevin Murphy is going to drive his own car to work. Kevin Murphy is not going to stay in Harrisburg,” Mr. Murphy said.

Mr. Murphy pledged to be in Harrisburg only when necessary to conduct the people’s business.

“The rest of the time I’m going to spend right here addressing the concerns and identifying the problems of people that I care about most — the people right here in my district,” he said.

A state lawmaker earns an annual salary of $76,173 and receives other perks, including the option to use a state-owned vehicle and $152-a-day per diems, which reimburse lawmakers for lodging, meals and other expenses incurred being away from home at the Capitol or attending committee meetings in other parts of the state.

Mr. Shimkus and his wife, Gabrielle, will fly out today to spend two weeks in Kryzygstan, where they are adopting a son with special needs. As for his job, Mr. Shimkus said he still serves as a pastor at Trinity Congregational Church in West Scranton and has “lots of options” for jobs.

“I hope the work we have begun in the 113th District will be continued,” Mr. Shimkus said.

Contact the writer: ssanger@timesshamrock.com