SUNBURY – A Lycoming County man has decided to run as an independent candidate against 10th District US congressman Tom Marino (R-10th, Cogan Station). Jerry Kairnes made the announcement this week that he would be running.
Kairnes was a recent guest on WKOK Sunrise when he talked about the possibility of running and how difficult it is for Independent candidates to get on the ballot, “The parties have rigged the rules, so to speak, to make it harder for Independents and third parties just to get on the ballot. So, in addition to wanting to have a professional staff and raise the money to have a viable campaign, you need significant support from volunteers to help you collect signatures for ballot access.”
Kairnes will need 2,258 signatures by August 1st to get on the November ballot. He says he will be able to accomplish that. Kairnes also talked about his goals if elected, “To balance the federal budget by the year 2030, to secure Social Security and Medicare for another 75 years, to create 25-million net new jobs over the next ten years and to make our country energy secure by the year 2024.”
Kairnes is Marino’s sole challenger, with no Democrats stepping forward. Marino has been re-elected twice, serving as a Republican congressman in the 10th District since being elected in 2010. (Ali Stevens)
