Health problems keep Christina O'Brien from seeking 4th term as Westmoreland prothonotary

Westmoreland County Prothonotary Christina O’Brien will not seek a fourth term in office.

O’Brien, 54, a Democrat from Ligonier Township, said ongoing health issues prevent her from participating in another campaign and serving four more years as the head of the county office that oversees all civil and domestic court filings.

“I’m a fighter, but I’m not physically able to do it,” O’Brien said.

She was diagnosed more than two decades ago with the autoimmune disease lupus and, over the years, worked through bouts of the illness. Since March, O’Brien has worked from home because of the additional risks to her health caused by a potential exposure to the coronavirus.

Despite those precautions, she contracted covid in December and was hospitalized for four weeks. She still is recovering and said she intends to finish out her term and return to her courthouse office after being vaccinated against the virus.

O’Brien said the decision to not seek another term was made before she was diagnosed with covid.

“I’m still making decisions on hiring and working on installing our new computer system,” O’Brien said.

A long-planned effort to allow lawyers to electronically file court documents has been ongoing for several years and is near completion, she said.

The daughter-in-law of former longtime county Treasurer Kathalyn O’Brien, who died in 2017, she began her political career as an elected jury commissioner before she successfully campaigned for the prothonotary post. Her husband works as chief of staff to County Commissioner Gina Cerilli.

O’Brien said she will endorse former Recorder of Deeds Tom Murphy as her replacement, though he has yet to announce his candidacy. Murphy did not return a call seeking comment.

“I called Tom and asked him to run. I have confidence in him to run the office,” O’Brien said.

Murphy, a Democrat from New Kensington, served three terms as head of the county’s deeds office before he was defeated by Republican Frank Schiefer in 2011. Murphy won back the office in 2015 but again lost to Schiefer in 2019.