House candidate files lawsuit against county, state Dems
Heather Kass, who is running on the Democratic ticket for a state House seat in June’s primary election, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the state Democratic Party and Allegheny County Democratic Committee, alleging they have frozen her out of the campaign process.
The complaint, filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, alleges breach of contract against the Democratic Party and committee. Ms. Kass is also seeking a preliminary injunction that would force the two defendants to include her name on mailers and send them to voters in the district, as well as give her access to a computerized database of voters.
Ms. Kass is running for the 36th Legislative District seat left empty with the retirement of longtime state Rep. Harry Readshaw. The district spans from Carrick and Mount Washington within Pittsburgh’s city limits to Baldwin Borough and
Brentwood. Ms. Kass is running against progressive activist Jess Benham, Ed Moeller and Mark Johnson in seeking the Democratic nomination.
“There is an urgent necessity to avoid immediate and irreparable harm if defendants are not enjoined from excluding plaintiff from their mailings and access to their database,” the motion for injunction said. “Greater injury will be done by refusing to grant this injunction than in granting it. With the election occurring on June 2, 2020, there is limited time to have plaintiff included as agreed between the parties.”
Albert P. Veverka, the solicitor for the county Democratic Party, said he is reviewing the matter and expects to file a response in court in the next few days. The state party, through chair Nancy Patton Mills, said it’s addressing the matter with its legal team.
According to the lawsuit, Ms. Kass claims that, despite being endorsed by the county’s Democratic Committee in February by a 49-19 margin, the state and county organizations have provided her with no assistance during the primary campaign season.
Among her allegations, she claims that the party did not include her name on the list of endorsed candidates sent to pre-selected voters; that they would not share the “VoteBuilder” computer program with her that provides voter database information; and that they failed and refused to send any mailings to voters in the 36th District.
Ms. Kass said in her lawsuit that she complied with the county committee process of paying $2,500 to be considered for endorsement, attended its endorsement meeting on Feb. 16 and spoke there.
“Despite plaintiff’s overwhelming victory and compliance with defendants’ rules and regulations, the next day on February 17, 2020, defendant party, acting through its Chairperson Nancy Patton-Mills, issued a statement saying, ‘We do not and will not support her candidacy.’”
Ms. Kass came under scrutiny in the winter when a review of her social media history showed she had supported President Donald Trump, expressed disdain for the Affordable Care Act and criticized opioid addicts.
Ms. Kass apologized for those posts and said at the time that she has “grown and learned since then.”
According to the complaint, Ms. Kass is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, alleging that she has spent time and money acquiring and compiling voter lists from other sources as well as engaging consultants to assist in that process.