Filing papers to withdraw after two full days of intense scrutiny of signatures on their nominating papers were York lawyer Marakay Rogers, a perennial candidate who was running for governor; political newcomer Douglas Jamison, an engineer running for Senate; and Kat Valleley, a Bucks County homemaker.
Commonwealth Court Judge P. Kevin Brobson canceled a planned Monday hearing and directed elections officials to strike the Libertarians' names as candidates in the Nov. 2 election.
Marc Antony Arrigo, a Philadelphia lawyer representing the three, said they conceded that the challenge filed by a group of Republican voters would leave them with fewer than the 19,082 signatures required for third-party candidates for statewide office.
On Monday, self-proclaimed "tea party" candidate John Krupa withdrew his petition to run for governor, and Green Party candidate Mel Packer said he was signing papers to withdraw from the contest for Sen. Arlen Specter's Senate seat.
Wednesday's developments left only two major-party candidates for each of the statewide races: Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey for Senate, and Democrat Dan Onorato and Republican Tom Corbett for governor.
