Letter to the Editor: Wilkes-Barre council candidate Beth Gilbert pledges to fight for residents

Lottery Numbers for the Week of Oct. 18.

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; While Mayor Tom Leighton considers whether to mount a write-in bid for another term, a social media campaign is already rallying behind him.</p><p>Lisa Barth, a neighbor of Leighton in the city&#8217;s Barney Farms section, created a Facebook page, Elect Tom Leighton for Mayor 2016.</p><p>It&#8217;s getting the attention she hopes will sway him to seek a fourth term and challenge Democrat Tony George and Republican Frank Sorick, the candidates on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m hearing positive things. People are really wanting him to do it,&#8221; Barth said Saturday.</p><p>Leighton, a Democrat, could not be reached for comment.</p><p>He had previously told the Times Leader he was thinking about getting into the race after the lackluster performances of the candidates at a forum Wednesday night sponsored by the newspaper and King&#8217;s College.</p><p>&#8220;Very uninformative,&#8221; was his reaction after the public event.</p><p>Barth did not attend the forum but watched it on video and said she has spoke to others who also came away unimpressed with the candidates. Neither George nor Sorick has the demonstrated leadership of Leighton, she said.</p><p>&#8220;Tom Leighton, the city needs you!! Thoughts and prayers are with your family as you weigh what is right for you &#8230; but know that we aren&#8217;t happy with the current candidates. We need someone in city hall that knows how to run the city, how to be tough on crime, how to steer the ship. We don&#8217;t need beginners or forgetters &#8230; please seriously consider being our write in candidate,&#8221; read one of Barth&#8217;s post.</p><p>She said she hasn&#8217;t spoken to Leighton about it. To be sure he gets the message she added him to the 80-member group that&#8217;s been notified of the Facebook page.</p><p>&#8220;I just wanted to support his cause in any way I could,&#8221; Barth said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Leighton </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_leighton2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Leighton </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Social media campaign urges Leighton to run for Wilkes-Barre mayor again