In the wake of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll’s death yesterday, Republican Sen. Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County ascends to her position. But he does not give up his spot as the top ranking Senator in the chamber, president pro tempore.
The situation means now that in the unlikely event Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell leaves office before the end of his term, the Republican Scarnati would become governor. The situation likely means Rendell finishes out his term.
For a look at who Scarnati is, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has this story:
Unlike many politicians at the Capitol, Mr. Scarnati, 46, doesn’t project a big ego in public.
“He’s low-key,” said his chief of staff, Todd Nyquist. “We’ve known each other a long time, but after he was elected, I once called him ’senator.’ He didn’t like that.”
GOP senators have clout because they control the Senate by a 29-20 margin. Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, the third-highest member of the GOP leadership, said Mr. Scarnati is “down to earth. He’ll say what is on his mind and not back down just to be politically correct. He hasn’t forgotten his small-town roots, and he cares about the needs of working people.”
Longtime friend and Brockway businessman Peter Varischetti said, “I’ve known Joe all my life. … He’s always had a yearning to be involved in politics. He was one of the youngest councilmen in Brockway. He was in his 20s.”
While it may seem odd to have someone serving in the executive and legislative branches at the same time, it isn’t unprecedented (see Jubelirer, Bob, and Schweiker, Mark).
