How Party Insiders Try To Decide Elections Before Voters Do

They don’t want to beat you at the ballot box, they want to erase your choices before you ever vote. That’s the charge we dig into from right here in Fayette County, where local politics shows how power really works when petitions, courts, and party leadership collide.

I’m John Marriott, and I sit down with Harry, a candidate in Pennsylvania’s 32nd senatorial district, after a legal challenge targets his ballot access. We talk through the petition signature process, what it means to get dragged into court after meeting the requirements, and why these fights can price ordinary challengers out of the race. We also get blunt about campaign finance, PAC money, and the kind of backroom pressure that can keep competition off the field long before Election Day.

From there we widen the lens to the county itself: population decline, a shrinking tax base, and the feeling that leadership is stuck on repeat. Harry makes the case for growth, accountable representation, and reforms that reduce procedural gamesmanship, including ideas that would modernize ballot access and limit signature challenges. We also hit major Pennsylvania election law flashpoints, including Act 77, no-excuse mail-in voting, and why voter ID remains such a heated issue for election integrity and public trust.

If you care about Fayette County, Pennsylvania politics, ballot access, election lawsuits, and how local races shape real life, listen through and share your take. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more voters can find the conversation.

Transcript

Establishments Target Uncontrollable Candidates

Rumors Of Party Leaders Overruling Voters

Harry Joins And Lays Out Stakes

SPEAKER_02 2:01

Hey everybody, this is John Marriott, and I am the Hillbully, and it's another fantastic day here in Fayette County. Let's get right to it. All right. Good evening, Fayette County. You're listening to the Hillbully John radio show. And I'll tell you what, folks, if you want a clear picture of what's going on with politics today, you don't have to look at Washington. You can see it right here at home. Because instead of letting the people decide, instead of trusting voters, what do we have? We've got the Uniparty Swamp lawyers, insiders, backroom operators trying to sue Harry Coffin off the ballot before you ever get a say. Let me say that one time again. We're trying to get Harry off the Concord. Or Harry off the off the ballot before you even get your say. Even get a chance to vote on it. Now think about that. You don't want to beat him, they don't want to beat him at the ballot box. They want to remove him from the ballot entirely. So you don't get a choice. And here's the part they don't want you to think too hard. We could have played the same game. We could have dickpicked petitions. We could have thrown out signatures over minor technicalities. But we didn't. Why? Because that's how because that's not how you treat voters. That's not how you respect the people who took the time to sign those petitions. That right here, folks, is the difference between the people and the establishment. We respect the voters. They try to control. And it's not just one side either. Don't let anybody fool you. You've got the Democrat establishment going after their very own. Now, I may not agree with Summer Lee at all. And not and and very much so. But ask yourself, why are they trying to knock her off? I'll tell you why. Because they're scared. They're scared of candidates they can't control. They're scared of people who don't play by the rules. But most of all, they're scared of you. Because we the people, we're we're done with the games, we're done with the insiders picking winners and losers before election day. And I'm hearing something else too, folks. And if this is if this is true, it ought to be it ought to concern every Republican in the county. I'm hearing to Bob Smith, the chair of the Fayette County GOP. You know, Boob Smith. He's looking not to see not to see the precinct committee people, even if they went on the battle. Think about that. If the voters choose you, but the party leadership doesn't like the outcome, they just ignore it. That's not party leadership, that's control. And if true, it tells everything you need to know. They're not afraid of losing arguments, they're afraid of losing their power. And today, we got the man right here in the middle of it all. Harry Young Cocker is joining us. And from what I hear, he's got one heck of an attorney over 40 years in election law, and he says this case is solid, and Harry's going to be on the ballot. So we're going to hear it straight from him. No spin and no filters. Harry, I know you came over uh to the the my new studio. What do you think, my new studio?

SPEAKER_01 5:16

I like this. You have a nice setup here. It's beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Uh we're we're trying to get things going. But uh I I want I want to I want to thank you for for coming over. We're we're moving along with everything. Uh we're actually gonna be able to hopefully in the near future, we're gonna be able to do some remote things right where we're right where we need to be. Um we got this news uh I don't know, yesterday morning or or maybe late like late late the night before, probably yesterday morning, I guess, uh when you called me about this. So I need to get your take on it. I mean, it's obvious they're afraid of you, Harry. I mean, well they're afraid. They don't want to let people decide. They want to try to make the decision for them.

Petition Challenge And Legal Cost Reality

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Well, they shouldn't be afraid of me. I I'm I'm running to make things better. People of the counties who they're afraid of, they don't want to give the people a choice. I'm running for a reason. I have a platform, I have an agenda, and uh we've been shortchanged in the senatorial district for 12 years. I have a lot of things. I'm not gonna go into a political campaign exactly. What bothers me is they've taken me to court. I had to file a minimum of 500 signatures to the Republican Party in this 32nd senatorial district to get on the ballot. They don't want me on the ballot, they don't want any opposition on the ballot because they don't want the people to see the truth and hear the clarity of what's really going on in this district and Fayette County in particular. I um have a good attorney and we're gonna have to go to court. It's gonna cost a lot of money to do this. I don't mind standing for the people. I don't think the senatorial district should be decided in a courtroom, should be decided by the constituents out here. They're the sovereign and they should have the final say. I'm running for a reason, and uh I need to fight this with uh with money. And uh I'm appealing that anybody can help in any way financially. We'd appreciate it because we're gonna have a lot of cost, and we're fighting the uh mega bucks in Harrisburg. These are the big boys that put the big money into these packs that don't want me in there. I don't take these monies from these packs, and uh, some of these things that my opponent has done over the years, uh it's disgusting because uh he can't, he's not his own man. You take money like that, you're controlled by these people. I I really want your support, the people. And uh I feel we have a good chance to win this, and I think we're gonna stay on the ballot. But any way you can help, I'd certainly appreciate it. But remember, I'm fighting the big bosses, which means you're fighting them. They don't want you to have a say. That way, the way they do it is trying to keep opponents out and scare other ones out. That way they can use this huge pack money to keep us out or frighten us out. They're not gonna frighten me out. I'm here to stay, and I'm gonna run win or lose. But I'll be honest, and I'm gonna put my platform out there, and when you hear it, I don't see how you can vote against it. That's all I have to say, John. But I mean it.

Fixing Ballot Access And Party Control

SPEAKER_02 8:10

Well, I I think that uh the people coming against you right now, they they do fear, they do fear uh what's going on, and you probably said it the best. They don't fear, they don't fear you, they feel the people because the people are starting to wake up and the people are uh have had enough. I mean, we've seen it that they did the same thing. Uh Al that's running over here against Cameron Barlaw. They did the same, uh she did the same thing to him. She's trying to keep him from ballot access. And uh you know, I I don't like how they I don't like the petition process to begin with. I think it's I think it's needs to be changed. One of the things that uh I I think needs to be done is is uh way that you do it, the way they do it in West Virginia.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

I mean, West Virginia's got uh the the people make fun of West Virginia, but it it it's right.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

John, they won't let you have that here because they want to control the process here. You know, West Virginia, you have to uh like Pennsylvania, you can file so many signatures to get on the ballot, you can just pay the double, pay double fare for the filing fee, and you don't need signatures. But the political parties here don't want that, they want to control, they don't want opposition, they want to make this like the House of Lords in England. You get elected, you're in for life, and there are ways to do it, and the big money can do that. Scares people out. You know, the people of Fayette County, I my heart's in Fayette County. Of course, my mother's family came from Somerset County. I have some good contacts there, but the people in this district, uh especially Fayette County, we deserve better. I mean, we're we're to the point, no one knew is moving into the county, we're losing the people. These are old names, old families. My family came up and invented the commercial coke in the United States, and the rest is history. Look at Pittsburgh, but these people came here as immigrants, they built this county, they built this commonwealth, and they built this industrial revolution in this county. And and you know, they're their descendants, they they deserve better, they deserve respect. And they're like they they use these people and lord over them. There's no one feeding this county for growth. You have to have growth.

Fayette County Decline And Need Growth

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Well, we'll the counties the Fayette County in um I I don't know the numbers in Somerset or Fayette or uh Bedford, but uh yeah, I know you've studied them, and you're studying them. And I uh but I I do know that we have a problem here in Fayette County. Our population is declining very readily. I mean, it isn't it isn't so we're not losing, we're losing people every day, right? And and we're we're running an accounty at right into the ground because when you're losing these people, don't you're you're losing property owners and you're losing taxpayers, and that's what the problem is. I mean, the property owners that are shouldering all this, they're shouldering the school taxes, they're shouldering the property taxes, and and we're running it, we we should be probably running it a fifth class county at least, maybe the sixth-class county before too long.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

I mean, I know I think you're right on the fifth class county, but it makes me disgusting because there's no growth in this county. We've got to get business in it. We have bad well, you hit you need leadership. You didn't these these lunkheads you ever in this county are pathetic. Well, we they just want re-elected, and they it goes on and on and on. You know, even Einstein said how things are going to change when you re-elect the same people. That's in the back of my mind. And you see, a senator's been here for 12 years. I've I've done uh some research and some campaigning in Somerset, Bedford County, they didn't even know who he is. I'm I'm I'm not I'm as up, you know, I don't I'm gonna go into a lot of detail, they'll hear about it in the campaign, but you know, this is sad. 12-year incumbent. I mean, you know, in the old days, I mean I was in politics before as a legislator. That you if you said you were running against someone like that, say you crazy. This this he hasn't done his job. He hasn't done it. We paid it, we paid him millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars for that in that district in 12 years. What have we gotten for it?

SPEAKER_02 12:07

Nothing.

What A State Senator Really Controls

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Well, that's thank you. You said it. Nothing. I don't have to. I will say thanks for having me on here, John. But I mean, I I I just I want to tell the people we have to fight this. I want to stay on for you, and I want to win this to help the people in this county. And it has to start. I mean, the state senate's a very to me, it's the most important position outside the county in the government representing this county.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Wow and uh probably outside of the county commissioners in the county, the state senator has it, you know, I would cuts a wide swath.

Act 77 Mail Voting And Voter ID

SPEAKER_01 12:37

I hire you do, you do, because you have the any any vacancy other than the uh the district attorney or the commissioners, any any vacancy, whether it's because of death or resignation, the state senator feels that position. Um the house members, uh all funding mechanisms begin in the house and any impeachment proceedings begin in the house. But the significance of the Senate is you have the confirmation of cabinet members and appointees for vacancies.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Well, I do want to I do want to hit on one last thing, Harry, before you leave. Uh, this election law, uh, the Act 77. That uh the that that uh I mean I I don't want to get you too fired up today, but we we need to we need to address that right now because this is what we're doing right now, because it it it we have to it has to change, and we got and we gotta get somebody in Harrisburg.

Remote Studio Plans And Audience Reach

SPEAKER_01 13:28

Well he sponsored, he's the big sponsor of that in in 2019. So he owns it. He owns it, he's not a done the thing that we've seen it now. They're talking it. I'm for identification for you to vote. You should show some kind of identification if you can vote. And uh, I don't know how they're gonna do that with it's no excuse paper ballots. People just go around by mailing in ballots, and you know, when they saw this, these other states saw this in 2020, they copied it immediately, they kept quiet. They copied what we had available here in Pennsylvania, and you've because I remember in November 2020, we all went to bed. Trump was ahead. Next morning he was shellacked by these paper ballots. Yeah, and and and my opponent is uh the is the one that was uh really the to me, he's the author of it. No excuse, uh mail info. Absolutely, and he's done nothing to even rescind it. So I I want to see what they're gonna do. It needs to be we need you need to identify yourself if you're gonna vote. It's that's only that's good. That's to me, it's the way it should be.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

Well, I I I I wanted to hit on that. I know we're gonna have you back on many more times, uh, as much as we can. Uh, with the new system I have. And uh, I have to thank so many people for putting this up, helping me out with this. But uh with the new with everything I got, uh, you can you can I wanted to just bring you in today right here today, but you can stay in Cornersville. We can we can just link you in, or you can be in Somerset or Bedford or wherever, and we'll be able to link you in. And it it's long as we have a internet connection, uh and um I uh we'll be able to take care of that. And I'm great you have this.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

I like this.

SPEAKER_02 15:06

I mean, it's it's it's really working out well for us. Uh um last week, last week we had over a hundred thousand views. I mean, just on that's great. I mean, just in one week. Yeah, I mean, so and and uh um we'll keep moving on. I want I want to thank you for coming. And do you want to say anything else?

SPEAKER_01 15:23

I again I want to appeal to the people who need help to stay on the on the ballot because they're trying to knock us off. If they do, then the court's gonna decide who your state senator is. That's the one that's in there now. He's done nothing in 12 years.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

If you want more than that, I'll tell you what he's done. He's cost the taxpayers 12 million dollars, is what he's done. I know that. I know that.

Next Guest Al Buckton Plus Closing

SPEAKER_01 15:39

And you said the figure, I didn't want to say it, but for 12 million dollars, what have they gotten? There's nothing. And and of course, he supports this invisible government we have in the county. I don't want to get into that in detail yet. I'm gonna get into that heavy in the future. But uh thanks for having me, John.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

I appreciate it. Hey, um, everybody, uh, we're gonna do a show tomorrow. Uh well, we'll announce the time tomorrow morning. We're gonna be doing a show with the with Al Buckton. Uh he he's coming in. Uh, they're trying to do the same thing to him and get him off the ballot. I understand there's uh lots of committee people all over the state that they're working trying to keep off, keep from you. We the people making the decision to vote on. I want to thank you one more time, Harry, for coming over and uh we'll put this, we'll put this one in the in the books.

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Thank you.

Ted Cruz Event Announcement

SPEAKER_02 16:25

On on this road called life, you have to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. People change, things go wrong, but just remember the ride goes on. God bless each and every one of you. I am John Marietta, and I am the hill bully.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Senator Ted Cruz is coming to Western Pennsylvania on March 26th as the headline speaker for the PA Faith and Freedom Coalition dinner and reception. Other speakers include wealth leads, faithfully active, and healthy auditors, two four, equality, two four, and the bigger.