Montco's Joe Gale Ordered Off Lt. Gov. Ballot For Being Too Young

NORRISTOWN, PA — The intrigue surrounding Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale's unlikely run for lieutenant governor continues, as a state judge has ordered him off of the primary ballot for being too young.

At age 28, Gale has acknowledged that he is too young to legally hold the office. A lieutenant governor must be 30, and Gale will not turn 30 until March of 2019, months after the election.

However, Gale said that if he won, he would just delay being sworn into office by two months, something for which there are, in fact, a few instances of precedence in American politics.

Those precedents did not hold sway with Commonwealth Court Judge Kevin Brobson, who ruled Tuesday that Gale must come off this spring's primary ballot.

Gale says that he plans on appealing the decision with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He also blamed the ruling on the Republican Party.

"The GOP establishment swamp can't beat me at the ballot box, so they had to find a judge who could do their dirty work by misinterpreting the law and legislating from the bench," Gale said in a statement. "The judge relied on 'verb tense' and 'Webster's dictionary' rather than relying on legal precedent and the Constitution. Maybe the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will see things differently."

Current Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, a Democrat, has had a messy relationship with Gov. Wolf. Much of the controversy stems from an alleged incident where he lambasted his security detail and other state employees at his residence. Both Democrats and Republicans are running to replace him.

Gale, an outspoken supporter of President Trump, becomes the fourth Republican to throw his hat into the ring to replace Stack. Five Democrats, including Montgomery County's State Rep. Madeleine Dean and Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone, have also announced their candidacy. Stack himself will also attempt to be re-elected.

While primaries for governor and lieutenant governor are held separately, the winners run together as a single ticket for their party come the general election in November.

The primaries are set for May 15.

Patch file photo