Travis Kellar
Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
The sunshine on Sunday made for a perfect day to fire up the grills for the Luzerne County Republican Party’s fourth annual summer picnic.
It also gave Republican candidates running for statewide judicial office in the November general election a chance to mingle with constituents.
Members of the Luzerne County Republican Party manned the grill as voters and judges trickled into the pavilion and out of the hot sun. Chairman Bill Urbanski said that aside from Paul Lalley, who could not make the event, judges Anne Covey, Michael George, Judy Olson and Emil Giordano were all scheduled to attend.
“I think they realize how important Luzerne County is,” Urbanski said. “If they can win here in Luzerne County, I think it’s going to bode well for them statewide.”
Officials of the Luzerne County Republican Party expected anywhere from 70 to 100 people to attend the picnic, which went from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Covey, George and Olson are running for three open spots on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Lalley is a candidate for the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.
Giordano, who is running for a vacancy on the Pennsylvania Superior Court, liked the idea of rubbing elbows with constituents.
“I really wanted to come up here and meet the people up in this town,” he said. “I really believe that when I meet people, I can win their vote.”