Deceased County Council Member Sends Final Letter To Her Constituents
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The late County Councilwoman Barbara Daly Danko of Regent Square was a fighter for her causes, like opposing posting the motto 'In God We Trust' in council chambers because it was offensive to some.
"I think on some level it's unnecessarily divisive," Danko told KDKA political editor Jon Delano last August.
Danko was running for reelection when at age 61 she succumbed to cancer on Wednesday.
Despite an 11-year battle, she decided she was well enough to run for reelection, says George Danko, her husband.
"She felt that she would have possibly one or two years to serve," he said.
In an unusual move, last March Danko penned a letter to her constituents to be released when she passed away.
"My health has taken a downward spiral over the last few months. The fact that this statement is being distributed means that my goal of continuing to live and serve the community while being a cancer survivor has ended. It has been an honor and a privilege working with all of you."
County elections director Mark Wolosik says Danko's name will remain on the Democratic primary ballot on May 19.
"Once the ballots have been printed, we cannot remove a name from the ballot," Wolosik told KDKA's Jon Delano.
Danko was facing stiff competition from prominent attorney Caroline Mitchell who has the backing of County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
But voters can still vote for Danko.
"I'm going to vote for her," says George Danko.
Here's the way it works.
If Barbara Daly Danko wins the primary, then the Democratic committee men and committee women in this county council district will pick the nominee whose name will appear on the November ballot.
And they have until August 20 to do that.
In her final letter to her constituents, Danko wrote: "I hope that they [the committee people] will carefully consider all interested candidates and support someone who will study the issues and always vote based on the best interests of the citizens of Allegheny County."
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