Scott launches write-in campaign for commissioner
Mark C. Scott, a fixture of the Berks County commissioners for more than two decades, lost his bid for reelection in the May Republican primary after a backlash inside the GOP denied him a nomination for a seventh term.
But the Douglass (Berks) Township Republican is not going to leave quietly.
Scott, whose somewhat ornery disposition and forthright delivery have become trademarks of his leadership, confirmed Wednesday that he has launched a write-in campaign in the upcoming general election.
“I’m not one to back down from a fight,” he said. “There is a division within the local Republican Party and not everyone is a fan of the people who are running. And those people want an alternative.”
Scott fell easily in the primary to first-time candidate Michael Rivera. The Bern Township real estate agent has teamed with Tilden Township incumbent Christian Y. Leinbach. They will represent the Republicans on the ballot in the general election.
Results show Leinbach finished on top with 9,821 votes and Rivera received 8,911 votes — far ahead of the rest of the pack on the GOP ticket.
Scott came in third with 7,148 votes.
He remained silent on that primary defeat until just a few days ago when he began running radio spots announcing his intention to run as a write-in candidate as an alternative to the nominated Republicans. The ad can be heard several times a day on the airwaves of local station WEEU 830 AM.
The ad tells listeners they have another choice for county commissioner when they head to the voting booth in less than two weeks. It instructs them to support a candidate with a proven record by writing in Scott. And it pulls no punches when it comes to his challengers.
The ad calls Leinbach an egotistical, self-serving politician and refers to Rivera as his unqualified puppet.
“Rivera just seems to mimic Leinbach on almost every issue,” Scott said Wednesday. “Christian loves having control and a lot of people — I’m not the only one — believe this is just a way for Christian to dominate county government.”
Leinbach and Rivera were not immediately available Wednesday to comment.
Despite working side by side on the board for more than a decade as the Republican leaders on the three-member panel, Scott and Leinbach have sparred over a range of topics, including important budget issues and the appointment of local residents on government authorities.
But the animosity reached new heights during the primary season.
It all started in fall 2018 when Scott told people he would not be running for a seventh term.
Leinbach viewed that decision as an opportunity to join forces with a newcomer in the hope the two Republican candidates could maintain GOP control of the board. He chose Rivera.
About three months later, Scott changed his mind. He announced — to the surprise of his own colleagues — that he would run again because he would find it too difficult to sit back and watch poor decisions being made.
Scott said Wednesday that after the primary he heard from many Republicans who complained there wasn’t a true conservative candidate on the ballot.
He believes he can fill that void by providing voters with the opportunity to support a candidate who will make rational decisions based on evidence without regard to the political consequences those decisions might have.
“I think it’s a good thing to give people a choice and bring the issues out into the open,” he said.