Republican Alex Dubart of Reserve will face off against Adam Ravenstahl in the May 18 special election to fill the unexpired term in the state Legislature's District 20.

Jim Roddey, chairman of the Allegheny County Republican Party, said that party officials selected Ms. Dubart for the seat, vacated after former Rep. Don Walko was elected to Common Pleas Court.

Ms. Dubart, 55, a graduate of Slippery Rock University, said she had been working as a substitute teacher until a recent decision to focus full-time on her uphill battle to win a seat in the heavily Democratic district. She said she has also filed nominating petitions for the May 18 primary for the GOP nomination for a full term in the next session of the Legislature.

Democratic Party committee members from the district chose Mr. Ravenstahl, the younger brother of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, as their nominee for the Walko seat in a vote Sunday. He is also running for his party's nomination to a full term in the concurrent May 18 primary in a field that also includes Dan Keller, an Alcosan board member and a former member of the city planning commission; Mark Purcell, a former Ross commissioner; and Tim Tuinstra, a community activist from Observatory Hill.

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