PA Lt. Governor Race Still Contested

Jonathan Saidel says he supports a recount of Pennsylvania’s Democratic lieutenant governor primary if the race is still close after all votes are counted.

Saidel is currently second, trailing State Representative Scott Conklin by fewer than 4,000 votes, about .4% of the total. Under state law, a race is automatically recounted if the margin separating two candidates is smaller than .5% of the total vote.

Saidel spokesman Marty Marks says about 4,000 absentee and provisional ballots have not been counted yet. Marks says many of those came from the Philadelphia area, where the former Philadelphia Controller did “quite well.”

Marks says a recount would safeguard the democratic process.

Recounts can cost state taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. The last one cost $541,000, when front-runner Anne Lazarus retained her lead in a 2009 State Superior Court race.

A recount would have to be finished by June 8.