Colonial School Board Candidates Demand Democratic Party Stop Using Names and Likenesses

As we reported last week, The state Democratic Party sent out a direct mail piece that lumped two incumbent, unendorsed Democrats running for Colonial School with three of the party’s endorsed candidates to present the appearance of one unified ticket. After the article, we found out that the party is now placing and distributing lawn signs with their names as well.

The two candidates, Susan Moore and Cathy Peduzzi, and their Protecting Colonial’s Future slate of candidates were attacked during the primary as a front for Republicans (even though Moore and Peduzzi are Democrats and have been previously endorsed by the Democratic Party).

Moore and Peduzzi did not know they would be included in these marketing pieces until after the fact. Moore and Peduzzi were told by the Montgomery County Democratic Committee that it was responsible to support all Democratic candidates. MoreThanTheCurve.com was told the same thing when we inquired, however, we asked to be provided documentation on that requirement and that has not been provided.

Today, we received the following email from Moore and Peduzzi. The email

Members of the Media:

If you’re interested in reporting on unethical and deceitful practices in local politics, we would like to bring a story to your attention.

If you have not been following the school board race in Colonial School District: A unified slate of five nonpartisan women who are not funded by either political party is on the ballot next month for five open seats on the board, under the banner “Protecting Colonial’s Future.” 

As in all Pa. school board races, all 10 candidates in the primary cross-filed on both party’s ballots, and two of those women – Susan Moore and Cathy Peduzzi – finished in the top five in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.

This month, local and state Democratic Party officials are intentionally confusing voters by using the names and photographs of Moore and Peduzzi — who they viciously attacked in the spring primary — on campaign signs, literature and mailers WITHOUT their consent, in hopes that it will help the remaining three Democratic candidates on November 5th.

The following email was sent on Wednesday to elected officials and members of the local and statewide Democratic Party — including Montgomery County Commissioners Val Arkoosh, Ken Lawrence and Joe Gale; Montgomery Country Democratic Chairperson Joe Foster and Colonial Area Democratic Leader Jason Salus — as well as the other three candidates for Colonial School Board. 

There was no response from any of the listed individuals.

The local Democratic Party is appropriating our names and photographs on campaign signs, flyers and postcards without our consent or permission. Although we are technically Democratic nominees (as well as the Republican nominees) as a result of the primary election, we do not support  — and have never supported — the slate of candidates that we have been associated with. 

We are demanding that you cease and desist this deceptive and intentionally confusing practice immediately. We have been running with, and will continue to run with, a slate of three other candidates – Beth Patruno, Beth Suchsland and Chris Epstein – on the nonpartisan Protecting Colonial’s Future ticket, which is not funded, nor endorsed, by any political party.

Susan Moore and Cathy Peduzzi

Thus far publicly, the social media accounts associated with the local Democratic Party committees have pushed a narrative that it is time to bring the party together. Yes, the same people who attacked Protecting Colonials Future, actually believe they now get to be the peacemaker. An important thing to note, they didn’t ask Moore and Peduzzi to make peace, they just started using their names and photos.