Wolf sets Nov. 8 election for vacated Fattah seat

A special election will be held the day of the general election to fill a Pennsylvania U.S. House seat left vacant by Democratic Congressman Chaka Fattah who was convicted in a federal racketeering case.

Fattah, who served for 11 terms, resigned June 23, two days after his conviction in Philadelphia.

The date for the Nov. 8 special election was set by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.

Fattah lost the primary in April to longtime state Rep. Dwight Evans. Evans is a favorite to win the general election for the next term because of Democrats’ huge voter registration edge in Philadelphia.

The winner of the special election will serve eight weeks before the winner of the general election is sworn in.

There are no party primaries for the special election, so Republican and Democratic leaders will select their candidates with internal party meetings.

Evans says he’s already been on the phone to Democratic officials in Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

“I’ve been talking to a lot of them, and the response is overwhelmingly support me in the special election,” he said.

Businessman James Jones, the Republican nominee in the election for the next term, is also running run in the special election.

“I want the people in the district to understand that I bring integrity and trust to the office of the Congress,” Jones said, “because I believe that’s something that so many people are looking after.”

Fattah’s case centered on misuse of federal grants and nonprofit funds to repay an illegal $1 million loan. Defense lawyers blamed two political consultants.