Howanitz v. Blair

This is an appeal from a summary final judgment entered against an unsuccessful political party candidate who contested the outcome of the election. We find the summary final judgment to have been improperly granted and reverse.

Puriegton Howanitz was the unsuccessful candidate and Curt Blair was the successful candidate for County Commissioner, District Two, Monroe County, in the first Democratic primary election conducted September 12, 1978. After the absentee ballots were tabulated, the margin of Blair’s victory was only one vote.

Howanitz, timely and properly filed a verified complaint…