PIKE COUNTY -- Ray Tonkin said he is the man with the experience for the job to remain the district attorney in Pike County and to prosecute accused trooper killer Eric Frein.
Frein is charged with shooting and killing Corporal Bryon Dickson and wounding Trooper Alex Douglass at the Blooming Grove State Police barracks last year. Tonkin has Corporal Bryon Dickson's mother in his campaign ads.
"He was there from the beginning and he should end it and nothing against Kelly, but Ray should do his job and do it right and he's done a fair job so far,” said Joan Lewis of Greeley.
As the election draws close, people living in Pike County say they have been receiving a flurry of campaign mailers and see more and more signs out for the two district attorney candidates.
Republican challenger Kelly Gaughan may not have that experience as a prosecutor, but she says she has the endorsements from groups including the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police and the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association.
"There’s going to be a lot that comes up whoever gets elected other than I think they're playing that a little bit much if you know what I mean. I mean, it's a big deal, but they're definitely using that to play their battle that they have,” said Tom Clauss of Blooming Grove.
This race took an unusual twist when Tonkin, who is a Republican, lost to Gaughan in the primary election. But Tonkin won the write-in vote on the Democratic side. Tonkin decided to run as the Democratic nominee, but will not change parties.
At the Pickerel Inn Deli, Daniel Ochsenreither showed Newswatch 16 some of the campaign mailers he's gotten recently. He says this is a race many are talking about.
"It's very personal with Eric Frein. You know, we knew the officers. They always came in here, so it's a big divide, you know, on who exactly to vote for and that because you want justice done on the Eric Frein case,” he said.