By Karen Zapf

Published: Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 8:54 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Mike Doyle has no regrets about the campaign he ran for the 25th District State House of Representatives seat.

“There is nothing I could have done different or would have done different,” said Doyle, a Plum Republican, who in last Tuesday's election challenged incumbent Joe Markosek, a Monroeville Democrat. “Not one challenger for the State House won statewide. It was the Democrats' year.”

With 46 of the 46 Allegheny County precincts counted and all five of the Westmoreland precincts tallied, Markosek had 16,165 votes to Doyle's 13,364, a 2,801 vote difference, according to unofficial results. That was good for nearly 55 percent of the vote for Markosek, who won his 16th term.

The 25th District includes Monroeville, Plum, Pitcairn, Trafford and part of Murrysville in Westmoreland County.

Markosek said the campaign was hard-fought.

“We got outmailed and out-TV'd, but we outworked (Doyle) on the ground,” Markosek said. “We took it right to the street.”

Markosek won the majority of votes in Monroeville, which is a repeat of the last time the two candidates squared off in 2010, when Markosek beat Doyle by about 1,600 votes. Doyle bested Markosek in Plum and Murrysville.

Doyle, Plum Council president, said though he lost by more votes this year, he received about 2,300 more votes than he got in 2010.

“In Monroeville, I lost some (districts) by three votes and nine votes,” Doyle said. “And I did better (than in 2010) in Pitcairn.”

Doyle said his favorable to unfavorable rating in Plum was 45 percent to 12 percent.

Plum Republican Committee Chairman Dave Majernik said he is baffled by the results.

“It seems to me the momentum and the enthusiasm was on our side,” he said. “People came (to the Republican campaign center in Monroeville) for signs. Lots of people said positive things about Mike and said they were tired of someone having incumbency for 30 years. I don't understand it.”

Majernik, said, though, incumbency has its benefits.

“When someone is in office for so long, they develop a relationship with people and help people,” Majernik said. “People vote with their emotions, as well as their heads.”

Majernik said legislative redistricting expected next year would benefit Democrats (seeking office) in the 25th District.

“This is an example of why we need term limits,” Majernik said.

“The power of incumbency makes it difficult for anyone to challenge an incumbent.”

Doyle, whose council term expires at the end of next year, said he will continue to work hard for the citizens of Plum.

“When I was campaigning in the 25th District, people were surprised how we (in Plum) are doing more with less,” Doyle said.

“It is a great community.”

Karen Zapf is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-856-7400, ext. 8753, or kzapf@tribweb.com.

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