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<p>Seven Democrats had applied for a vacant Luzerne County Council seat as of Monday afternoon, according to the council clerk.</p><p>Council Chairman Tim McGinley said all names will be publicly released Friday night &#8212; after the 4:30 p.m. application deadline &#8212; in part because some may decide to withdraw before then.</p><p>An issue that may come up: Whether council members will be open to appointing someone who also plans to run for one of the six council seats up for grabs in this year&#8217;s election.</p><p>Council did not prohibit planned council candidates from running, but McGinley said it may be a factor in the selection.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s going to be a question that people will inquire about, whether each applicant will run for a permanent position or just to fill the vacancy,&#8221; McGinley said.</p><p>McGinley said some may consider it unfair to appoint an expected ballot candidate, potentially providing that person with increased name recognition and experience that could provide an edge on the campaign trail.</p><p>However, temporarily serving also could provide &#8220;sort of a testing ground&#8221; for a candidate, including the possibility of voting on controversial or difficult matters, he said.</p><p>&#8220;A person who plans to run and applies for the vacancy has to consider that too,&#8221; McGinley said, referring to the pros and cons.</p><p>Council members plan to fill the vacancy, which was created by Democrat Edward Brominski&#8217;s resignation, at their Feb. 12 meeting. The Democratic replacement will serve until Jan. 6, 2020. Applicants are set to be publicly interviewed Jan. 21 and 22.</p><p>In the race for the six permanent, four-year council seats, Democrats and Republicans can start circulating their petitions Feb. 19 and must submit their collected nomination signatures by March 12.</p><p>The timing was different the only other time council filled a vacancy under the home rule structure &#8212; a controller seat &#8212;when Republican Walter Griffith resigned in 2013.</p><p>That seat was vacated in August of an election year, and the Republican party selected Carolee Medico Olenginski to fill Griffith&#8217;s ballot slot in the November race. Democratic contender Michelle Bednar was elected.</p><p>Although Medico Olenginski had applied for the interim controller post, council selected Walter Mitchell to serve for four months until the new elected controller took office.</p><p>When filling three interim county judge seats in 2009 and 2010, state officials said they selected applicants not planning to run for those offices.</p><p>An announcement seeking applicants for the vacant county council seat is posted on the council section at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/437/County-Council" target="_blank">www.luzernecounty.org</a>.</p><p>The following council members are in the final year of their current terms, which means voters will fill their seats this year in addition to the one that had been held by Brominski: Eugene Kelleher, Tim McGinley, Robert Schnee, Stephen A. Urban and Jane Walsh Waitkus.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Courthouse </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_luzcocourthouse01-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County Courthouse </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Tim-McGinley.cmyk_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">McGinley </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Tim-McGinley.cmyk_.jpg</photo1><caption1>McGinley </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Applications rolling in for Luzerne County Council seat