Westmoreland County Republicans, upset over the firing of a local staffer, have decided to splinter off and run a separate re-election campaign for Sen. Rick Santorum.
Local GOP officials for months have been at odds with the state Republican Committee, first over its support of gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann and later over the election of party Chairman Robert Gleason Jr.
The last straw, according to Westmoreland County GOP Chairman Perry Christopher, came late last week when staffer Elizabeth Yorio was fired by the state committee.
"People are very upset because nobody was consulted," Christopher said on Wednesday.
As a result, local party leaders have held several discussions this week and decided to distance themselves from the state committee, he said.
Christopher said an executive director could be hired to run local party activities. Money would have to be raised to pay for the hiring, he said.
"I don't know what the new structure is going to be, but hopefully we can still get along with the Republican Committee. We have to have some autonomy," Christopher said.
Gleason was elected in June as the chairman of the state GOP committee. Yesterday, he urged Westmoreland Republicans to reconsider.
Any separation from the state committee could jeopardize future funding and party support, he said.
"I hope they wouldn't do that, but I can't tell them what to do. They're all volunteers. As long as they're for Rick, what can I say?" Gleason said.
Christopher and other local GOP leaders openly lobbied against Gleason's election and favored former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton for the position. Westmoreland's GOP leadership also initially supported other candidates who were seeking the party nomination for governor over Swann.
Since 2004, the county Republicans have coordinated local efforts through the state committee and Yorio, who was brought in for that year's presidential election.
Yorio returned to Westmoreland County this year to work for the state committee, with a focus on Santorum's re-election campaign.
She said yesterday that she was never told the reason for her termination.
"Somebody's ego was probably bruised," she said.
In May, Yorio sent e-mails to Republicans in Cambria County about a fundraiser being conducted for Santorum opponent Robert Casey. That fundraiser was being held in the Johnstown home of Gleason's cousin.
Gleason, who would not comment on the reason's for Yorio's firing, said the e-mail was not a factor in the personnel move but confirmed that his cousin, a registered Democrat, did host the Casey fundraiser.
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