As released by Chardo for Judge on January 18, 2012:

This week, two local Republican committees made the rare move of choosing not to endorse a candidate for Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas Judge in the 2013 municipal primary election.

On Monday, January 14, the Susquehanna Township Republican Committee chose not to endorse any of the three candidates. The Lower Paxton Township Republican Committee followed in a near unanimous decision not to endorse on Thursday night, January 17. First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo, along with local attorney William Tully, specifically asked both committees to allow Dauphin County voters to choose their candidate.

"A Common Pleas Judge is to serve as an apolitical judge of the law," said Chardo. "We have three highly qualified candidates and over the next several months, the voters in this county will be in the best position to select their candidate," Chardo advocated.

Chardo, the first candidate to announce a bid to the seat that will become vacant in 2014 after the mandatory retirement of Judge Lawrence F. Clark Jr., is joined by Tully, as well as Dauphin County Recorder of Deeds, Jim Zugay.

Susquehanna and Lower Paxton Township represent the first two of seven local committees to meet in the coming weeks. The Dauphin County GOP is scheduled to vote on an endorsement February 16, 2013.