State Sen. David G. Argall and challenger Brian R. Rich are involved in one of the most bitter and heated campaigns on the Republican ballot in the Primary Election to be held Tuesday, April 24.

Argall, of Lake Hauto, Rush Township, is being challenged by Rich, Summer Valley Road, Orwigsburg, who is president of Reading Anthracite Coal Company, for the party's nomination to represent the people of the 29th State Senatorial District.Each has charged the other with character assassination. Rich has been hitting hard on Argall's pension and being a career politician, while Argall has attacked the company Rich has headed with being involved in illegal problems.This is Rich's first venture into politics. He is a graduate of Pottsville Area High School and Boston University and has been working in his family's energy business involving coal and oil. He is president of Reading Anthracite, Jack Rich Inc., Keller Oil, and Lehigh Fuels. He has an expanded oil business from Schuylkill County to Allentown in Lehigh County. His family business employs more than 600 workers.Argall received a break from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which knocked down the realignment of his district and it remains the same. Argall ran and won his seat in the state senate in a special election after the late James Rhoades, Mahanoy City, died in a two-car accident. He is seeking his first full term as state senator. Had the court upheld the redistricting it would have added parts of Monroe and Northampton counties.The 29th State Senate District remains the same consisting of part of Berks County including the townships of Albany, Bethel, Greenwich, Heidelberg, Jefferson, Lower Heidelberg, Ontelaunee, Penn, Perry, South Heidelberg, Spring, Tilden, Tulpehocken, Upper Bern, Upper Tulpehocken and Windsor and boroughs of Adamstown (Berks County portion), Bernville, Hamburg, Lenhartsville, Robesonia, Shoemakersville, Sinking Springs, Strausstown, Wernersville and Womelsdorf.The parts of Carbon County consist of the townships of East Penn and Mahoning and all of Schuylkill County.State LegislatureState Rep. Jerry Knowles, Oxford Street, Rush Township, is being challenged by Larry J. Padora, New Ringgold, who operates a bakery business in Tamaqua and is a former chairman of the Schuylkill County Republican Party.Each seeks the Republican Party's nomination to represent the people of the 124th State Legislative District which consists of parts of Berks and Schuylkill counties.The parts of Berks County consist of the townships of Albany, Greenwich, Maidencreek, Ontelaunee, Perry and Windsor and boroughs of Hamburg, Lenhartsville and Shoemakersville; and parts of Schuylkill County consisting of townships of East Brunswick, East Union, Kline, North Union, Rush, Schuylkill, Union, Walker, West Brunswick and West Penn and boroughs of Coaldale, Deer Lake, McAdoo, New Ringgold, Orwigsburg, Port Clinton, Ringtown and Tamaqua.State Rep. Mike G. Tobash, Sharp Mountain Road, Pottsville, is unopposed in the primary election. He represents the people of the 125th State Legislative District which consists of part of Berks County consisting of the townships of Center and Tilden and boroughs of Centerport and Leesport; and part of Schuylkill County consisting of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th wards in Pottsville, the townships of Barry, Lavelle in Butler, Eldred, Frailey, Hegins, Hubley, North Manheim, Pine Grove, Porter, South Manheim, Tremont, Upper Mahantongo, Washington and Wayne and boroughs of Auburn, Cressona, Landingville, Mechanicsville, Mount Carbon, Pine Grove, Schuylkill Haven, Tower City and Tremont.No candidate filed for state representative of the 123rd Legislative District which consists of part of Schuylkill County consisting of Pottsville's 5th and 6th Wards, the townships of Blythe, Branch, villages of Englewood, Fountain Springs and Northeast of Butler Township, Cass, Delano, East Norwegian, Foster, Mahanoy, New Castle, Norwegian, Reilly, Ryan and West Mahanoy and the boroughs of Ashland, Frackville, Gilberton, Girardville, Gordon, Mahanoy City, Middleport, Minersville, New Philadelphia, Palo Alto, Port Carbon, Shenandoah and Saint Clair. Voters can nominate a candidate by write-in votes.Other officesFour candidates are seeking the endorsement of Schuylkill County Republican voters to be the presidential candidate to challenge President Barack Obama in the fall election. Appearing on the ballot will be Newt Gingrich, of Arlington, Va.; Mitt Romney, Boston, Mass.; Ron Paul, Springfield, Va.; and although Rick Santorum, Verona, Pa., withdrew from the race, his name remains on the ballot.Five candidates are seeking the party's nomination for a U.S. Senate seat, seeking to dethrone incumbent Bob Casey Jr.David Alan Christian, Washington Crossing, Bucks County, highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who runs a ground support equipment business to supply the U.S. Navy; Marc A. Scaringi, Camp Hill, Cumberland County, runs a law firm in suburban Harrisburg; Steven D. Welch, Malvern, Chester County, an entepreneur in the biotech industry business; Tom Smith, Shelocta, Armstrong County, coal mining, marketing and trucking business; and Sam Rohrer, Elverson, Berks County, who was a state representative for 18 years.Laureen A. Cummings, Old Forge, Lackawanna County, is unopposed for the office of the 17th Congressional District, which was redistricted under the 2010 census mandate and was upheld by the Supreme Court.The new district is composed of part of Carbon County consisting of the townships of East Penn, Franklin, Lower Towamensing, Mahoning and Towamensing and boroughs of Bowmanstown, Jim Thorpe, Lansford, Lehighton, Nesquehoning, Palmerton, Parryville, Summit Hill and Weissport; part of Lackawanna County consisting of the cities of Carbondale and Scranton and the townships of Carbondale District Northwest, Spring Brook and Thornhurst and the boroughs of Archbald Wards 1 and 4, Blakely, Dickson City, Dunmore, Jermyn, Jessup, Mayfield, Moosic, Old Forge, Olyphant Wards 1, 2 and 3, Taylor and Throop Wards 1, 2, and 3 Taylor and Throop Wards 1, 2 and 3; part of Luzerne County consisting of the cities of Pittston and Wilkes-Barre, townships of Jenkins, Pittston, Plains and Wilkes-Barre, and boroughs of Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Exeter, Hughestown, Laflin, West Pittston, West Wyoming, Wyoming and Yatesville; part of Monroe County consisting of the townships of Chestnuthill, Coolbaugh, Eldred, Hamilton, Middle Smithfield, Polk, Ross, Smithfield, Stroud Districts 1, 5, 6 and 7, Tobyhanna and Tunkhannock and borough of Delaware Water Gap.Also, part of Northampton County consisting of cities of Bethlehem (Northampton County portion) Ward 17 all except blocks 1026, 1023, 2018 and 2055 of Tract 011300 and Easton and townships of Bethlehem, Forks, Lower Mount Bethel, Palmer, Plainfield, District Delabole, Upper Mount Bethel, Upper Nazareth, District East and Washington and boroughs of Bangor, East Bangor, Freemansburg, Glendon, Nazareth, Pen Argyl, Portland, Roseto, Stockertown, Tatamy, West Easton, Wilson and Wind Gap and all of Schuylkill County.David J. Freed, Camp Hill, currently Cumberland County district attorney, is unopposed for the office of attorney general.There is a contest between Frank A. Pinto, Dauphin, Dauphin County, and John Maher, Upper Saint Clair, Allegheny County, for the office of auditor general.Diane Irey Vaughan, Eighty Fourth, currently Washington County Commissioner, is unopposed for the office of state treasurer.Convention delegatesFourteen candidates are seeking the party's election as delegates to the Republican National Convention with three to be elected to attend to select a presidential and vice presidential candidate.The delegates candidates reside in the 17th Congressional District. On the ballot are Anthony M. Antonello, Pittston, Luzerne County; John Manko, Troop, Lackawanna County; Daniel L. Daub, Tower City, Schuylkill County; Mary Rose McAndrew Spano, Scranton, Lackawanna County; Robert Kerr, Lehigh Valley, Northampton County; Trent Miller, Wilkes-Barre, Lackawanna County; Gretchen D. Sterns, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County; Rose Ann Gaetano, Dunmore, Lackawanna County.Also, Charles Spano, Scranton, Lackawanna County; Maria Montero, Tamaqua, Schuylkill County; Scott R. Thomas, Pottsville, Schuylkill County; Mary Beth Dougherty, Girardville, Schuylkill County; Eltgad S. Roces, Mahanoy City, Schuylkill County; and Tricia J. Mezzacappa, West Easton, Northampton County.Ten candidates are seeking the party's election as alternate delegates to the national convention.It includes eight who are running as delegates, Mary Rose McAndrew Spano, Rose Ann Gaetano, Scott R. Thomas, Daniel L. Daub, Mary Beth Dougherty, Charles Spano, Gretchen D. Sterns and Maria Montero.Also, Mary T. Burke, Nazareth, Lehigh County, and Greg Sheeler, Tamaqua, Schuylkill County, are the only two candidates running only as alternate delegates.