Lackawanna County Democratic Party sharply divided over process of electing new officers, legal fight possible
A sharply divided Lackawanna County Democratic Party appears headed for another court battle over who may serve as party committee members and vote for officers at an upcoming reorganization meeting.
Current county Democratic chairman Chris Patrick, who decided against seeking a fourth four-year term, said he declared 76 recently elected party committee members ineligible to serve as members, which means they cannot vote. He said he did that because they violated a party by-law by supporting non-Democrats in special or general elections last year. He sent the alleged violators letters dated June 10.
“If you openly support a member of another party other than the Democratic Party in a special or general election, you're not eligible to serve on the committee,” Patrick said in an interview. “And if you are on the committee, you will be removed for a two-year period. So that’s what I did.”
In a statement, Lexie Kelly, a leader of the Lackawanna United Democrats, a candidate for party chairperson and one of the barred committeewomen, vowed a legal challenge.
https://www.wvia.org/news/local/2026-06-25/lackawanna-county-democratic-party-sharply-divided-over-process-of-electing-new-officers-legal-fight-possible