Outspoken Mayor Loses Election, Says Local Democratic Committee Conspired Against Him
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MONESSEN (KDKA) -- Monessen's outspoken mayor appears to be out of a job come the end of the year.
The mayoral race in Monessen has been somewhat controversial, dating back to the May primary, and now, one day after the general election, nothing has really changed.
One day after losing a write-in bid to keep his job as mayor of Monessen, Lou Mavrakis says all is well.
"Am I upset? No, I'm a happy guy right now. I got the weight of the world off of me," says Mavrakis.
But the often controversial Mavrakis say 300 absentee ballots impounded by an election judge on Tuesday night has his dander up.
"I'm completely mystified," he says.
Mavrakis says he personally distributed hundreds of absentee ballots, specifically to voters 65 and older. He says those voters needed them.
"They moved the polling place," said Mavrakis. "The people had a long distance to walk, and they didn't even notify them that they moved the polling places."
However, Mavrakis' opponent and Democratic primary winner, 27-year-old Matthew Shorraw, asked for an emergency injection to determine if the ballots were legal.
"Everything was all right. They accepted the ballots, and now they're not good," said Mavrakis. "It don't make no difference. The people have spoken, I listen."
In fact, even if every one of the sequestered absentee votes went to Mavrakis, it wouldn't make up the deficit and he'd still lose.
"Let me tell you who the culprit is in this whole thing, the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee," Mavrakis said.
Mavrakis claims the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee wanted to keep the original nomination from him because of his outspokenness.
"They just can't take it," Mavrakis says.
Sources that KDKA's Ross Guidotti contacted inside the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee say Mavrakis' claims are baseless.
But, for his part, Mavrakis says he'll accept the results, but won't forget how he believes he's been treated.
"I like when people fool with me. It gives me something to live for," he says.