Published: November 05, 2008 01:50 am      

Murtha thwarts Russell

Although the script was different, the ending was the same.

U.S. Rep. John Murtha on Tuesday earned an 18th term by beating back a surprisingly strong political challenge and overcoming self-inflicted controversies.

With 585 of 600 precincts reporting in the 12th Congressional District, Democrat Murtha won 143,084 votes, or 58 percent.

Republican William Russell garnered 102,362, or 42 percent.

Murtha, who last week admitted being “blindsided” by Russell’s unexpected popularity, greeted supporters chanting “welcome back, Jack” late Tuesday night at his Johnstown campaign office.

“I appreciate all the hard work. We had hundreds of people out there working,” Murtha said.

“I could feel the energy.”

In a reference to recent comments about race that landed him in hot water, Murtha thanked voters who sent him back to Washington “regardless of what I say.”

The crowd responded with laughter.

Russell, a career Army man and Iraq war veteran who moved to Johnstown to challenge Murtha, conceded the race before 11 p.m., but noted that he had given the incumbent a relatively tough fight.

“I believe what this campaign has proven is that one voice can make a difference,” he told supporters at City View Bar and Grill atop Johnstown’s Inclined Plane.

Russell, often criticized during the campaign for being an outsider, said he’s not going away.

“I plan to be a candidate for United States Congress again, and with your help, I will be the next congressman from this district,” he said.

Murtha appeared to have won eight of nine counties in the district, losing Armstrong County by a narrow margin. He won big in his home base of Cambria County, grabbing nearly 69 percent of the vote.

The 12th district race had been relatively uneventful until the past few weeks. In fact, Russell’s campaign almost never made it to the general election.

In February, Russell learned that he would not be listed on the primary ballot after a judge ruled that the Republican’s nominating petitions did not contain enough valid signatures. But Russell garnered more than enough write-in votes in the April primary to earn his party’s nomination.

There was another lull as Russell served 90 days of active military duty. When Russell returned to the campaign trail in August, few observers gave him a chance against a powerful House Democrat.

But the race suddenly picked up speed in the past few weeks, with data from two polls seeming to show Russell in a virtual dead heat with the incumbent.

Some attributed that shift to Murtha labeling western Pennsylvania a “racist area,” a statement for which he was forced to apologize.

But Murtha also attracted continued criticism for his opposition to the war in Iraq and for his accusation that U.S. Marines murdered innocent civilians in Haditha, Iraq. That charge has not been proven.

Murtha’s campaign, quiet for months, began staging rallies, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars and enlisting help from allies including former President Clinton.

And the congressman went on the attack, saying Russell does not live in the district and “isn’t one of us.”

Russell responded by calling Murtha’s tactics “unfortunate” and said he bought a house this year in Upper Yoder Township.

Russell also continued to argue against federal earmarks that Murtha has used to funnel cash and jobs to his district.

In a statement issued just a day before the election, Russell said Murtha is “spreading the fear that this district cannot survive without the constant infusion of new earmarks.”

Murtha’s camp responded by calling a Sunday news conference featuring local business leaders who praised his work.

“These are highly skilled jobs,” Murtha said. “People are moving here from down South, instead of the other way around.”