Ferndale Republican dropping out of 71st race

BY MIKE FAHER
The Tribune-Democrat

March 07, 2008 10:49 pm

— A Ferndale Borough Republican is dropping his bid for the state House.
Citing unspecified personal reasons, Jim Rigby on Friday said he is terminating his campaign for the 71st district seat now held by retiring Democratic Rep. Ed Wojnaroski.
With the primary less than seven weeks away, Rigby’s name still may appear on the April 22 ballot.
But he wants voters to know he cannot accept his party’s nomination.
“As much as I don’t want to withdraw from the race, at this time it’s something that I need to do,” Rigby said.
Rigby’s decision leaves only one Republican, Steve Ettien of Richland Township, actively vying for the House seat.
But Rigby missed the state’s Feb. 27 deadline for officially withdrawing from the primary. To have his name removed from the ballot at this point, he would have to petition Commonwealth Court in Harrisburg.
Rigby said he has not decided whether he will take that step.
Ettien, a retired Marine and a Concurrent Technologies Corp. employee, said Rigby’s decision will have no bearing on his campaign activities.
“From a campaign perspective, even if I wouldn’t have had an opponent to begin with, I was going to run a full campaign to get my name out,” Ettien said.
With six Democrats vying for their party’s nomination in a heavily Democratic House district, Ettien also is looking ahead to a general-election battle.
“One of them is going to be my opponent eventually,” he said.