Fox Chapel councilman pulls his name from the May primary ballot

A Fox Chapel councilman who was seeking reelection is withdrawing from the May primary because of problems with his nominating petition.

Thomas Karet said by email that there was a “technical deficiency” with his nominating petition filed with the Allegheny County Elections Division, and it was “easier to withdraw it than try to fix the problem.” Karet, a Republican, did not elaborate.

Karet said he was unsure whether he would try to retain his council seat through a write-in campaign.

Kaya Pohl, Joan Hoover, Amanda Hoover and Gregory Dolan filed a lawsuit raising objections to Karet’s nominating petition, stating it was circulated by someone who did not live in Fox Chapel and was not a registered Republican.

The lawsuit stated that the circulator, identified as Natalie Colla of Oakmont, was not present when electors signed Karet’s nomination petition. The plaintiffs requested that the petition be set aside or disqualified because it failed to meet requirements of the state Election Code.

Attorney Ronald Hicks, who represented the plaintiffs, said there was no hearing on the case. He declined to comment on the lawsuit or about Karet withdrawing his name.

Three, four-year council seats are up for election this year. They are now filled by Karet, Betsy Monroe and Frederick Leech.

Karet, chief executive officer of ECHO Realty, was appointed to his council position on Dec. 20, 2021, to fill the unexpired term of Councilman Jay Troutman, who resigned.

Democrats Monroe and Leech and Republican Michael Pohl, a Fox Chapel Fire Department lieutenant, remain on the ballot, according to a candidate list posted on the Allegheny County Elections Division website.

Michael Pohl confirmed that one of the plaintiffs in the nominating petition lawsuit, Kaya Pohl, is his mother.

The primary is scheduled for May 16.