Delaware County Republican tenders his resignation

State Representative Mario Civera, Jr.’s decision to wait to leave his House seat has angered some Democrats who wanted him gone as soon as he took a spot on the Delaware County Council in January.

A Delaware County Republican says he’s retiring from the Pennsylvania Legislature.  Yesterday’s announcement is effective at the end of the month.

But state Representative Mario Civera, Jr.’s decision to wait to leave his House seat has angered some Democrats who wanted him gone as soon as he took a spot on the Delaware County Council in January.

By waiting this long, a special election to fill Civera’s seat cannot be held May 18th – when scores of Democrats are expected to turn out for competitive primaries for Senate and Governor.

“It is legal,” says Zack Stalberg, the president of the watchdog group The Committee of 70. “It’s not really appropriate for him to hold on to two positions especially when he said during the campaign that he was going to give up his seat in order to serve on Council.”

The chair of the Delaware County Republican Party has said Civera wanted to wait until the new state budget was on track.