Sussex County GOP Sues to Get Write-in Candidate on Ballot - WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 -

DOVER, Del. (AP)- Delaware Republicans are suing to get the name of a write-in candidate for state Senate on the ballot following the arrest of the GOP nominee on child sex charges.

Sussex County Republicans threw their support behind former Georgetown mayor Brian Pettyjohn after tea-party backed Eric Bodenweiser dropped out of the race. Bodenweiser withdrew shortly before being indicted on 139 counts of molesting a boy more than two decades ago.

Elections officials plan to put white stickers over Bodenweiser's name on the ballot but have declined to substitute Pettyjohn's name for Bodenweiser's based on the GOP's assertion that Bodenweiser has been incapacitated.

State elections commissioner Elaine Manlove said Bodenweiser has not been convicted or sentenced and is thus not incapable of serving if elected, leading to the filing of Thursday's lawsuit.