Yudichak’s party switch reverberates in his home county

The longtime Luzerne County lawmaker recently left the Democrats to become an Independent. Now, the county’s Democratic Party chair has resigned.

• Katie Meyer
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Katie Meyer was WITF’s Capitol Bureau Chief from 2016-2020. While at WITF, she covered all things state politics for public radio stations throughout Pennsylvania. Katie came to Harrisburg by way of New York City, where she worked at Fordham University’s public radio station, WFUV, as an anchor, general assignment reporter, and co-host of an original podcast. A 2016 graduate of Fordham, she earned several awards for her work at WFUV, including four 2016 Gracies.
  
  Katie is a native New Yorker, though she originally hails from Troy, a little farther up the Hudson River. She can attest that the bagels are still pretty good there.
  
  WITF's Capitol Bureau Chief Desk is partially funded through generous gifts made in the memory of Tony May through the Anthony J. May Memorial Fund.
  
  For more information about Tony May, click here.

 Matt Rourke / AP

Sen. John Yudichak of Luzerne County speaks with members of the media at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019. The Democrat in Pennsylvania's state Senate from an area that shifted decisively to support Donald Trump in 2016's presidential election is switching his registration to become an independent and will caucus with the Republican majority.

(Harrisburg) — A state senator’s recent defection from the Democratic party shook the Capitol last week and now it’s causing political upheaval in his district.

The chair of the Luzerne County Democratic Party—a longtime supporter of now-Independent Senator John Yudichak—has resigned.

Yudichak was always a moderate Democrat, and he said he left the party because it’s grown too “purist.”

He’ll now caucus with the Republicans.

John Pekarovsky, who headed the Luzerne County Democrats, says he’s not leaving the party, and added that it was a hard decision to leave the organization.

But in a Facebook post, he said he was concerned his close ties to Yudichak might be a point of contention that could tear the party apart.

Pekarovsky serves as treasurer for Yudichak’s campaign committee, and said he’ll continue in that role.

The county party’s will be led by Vice Chair Kathy Bozinski.

In her own Facebook post, she wrote she wasn’t expecting this change — but added she wants to hit the ground running on behalf of “working families, children, older adults, and members of labor.”

A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.

Learn More