With police nominee's defeat, Wolf weighs next move

It was Gov. Wolf's first major political setback.

And it isn't resolved yet.

After Senate Republicans on Monday voted down Wolf's choice to lead the State Police - and, more unusually, ignored his request to withdraw the nomination before the vote - the first-term Democrat still has hard choices to make about the fate of the would-be top cop, Marcus Brown.

Both parties are grappling with which of Wolf's options are even legal: Can Brown, still serving as acting commissioner, stay on the job indefinitely? And what happens if Wolf resubmits his name for another vote?

Politically, observers say, Wolf's choices may be even murkier - particularly in the midst of Harrisburg's budget season, with lawmakers' bickering and bartering over priorities ranging from school funding and tax changes, to a public pension overhaul and Internet gambling.

"You've got a new governor trying to deal with a Republican majority," said Jean Harris, political science professor at the University of Scranton, who called the Brown rejection muscle-flexing by the GOP. "They're trying to see how far they can push."

For now, the push on Brown has stalled.

As the week opened, a decision on his candidacy appeared to be headed down to the wire. Brown had cleared a Senate committee hearing, but without an endorsement. And the Wolf administration was negotiating with GOP lawmakers to collect the necessary votes.

Then, just before the Senate convened Monday, Wolf asked the chamber to recall his nomination, tacitly acknowledging that the confirmation bid would fail.

The Senate refused and proceeded to vote, rejecting Brown, 26-22.

"We asked the members if they needed more time to vote, and they said no," Majority Leader Jake Corman (R., Centre) said after the vote. "It was time to bring this matter to a close."

In the days since, Wolf has expressed "full faith and confidence" in Brown's ability to lead the 6,000-employee agency, one of the nation's largest law enforcement forces.

He has declined to say whether he would seek a new nominee, or how long that process might take. His spokesman, Jeff Sheridan, said: "The governor is reviewing his options."

Senate Republicans are content allowing Wolf a chance to regroup, caucus spokeswoman Jenn Kocher said Thursday. But, she added, "it's certainly the position of the caucus that it's time to find a different candidate."

GOP members expressed a range of concerns during Brown's confirmation process. Those included his decision to wear the State Police's gray uniform, despite never having graduated from its academy, and removing lawn signs critical of him while being videotaped in March.

Senate Democrats portray those concerns as trivial and said Brown, 50, should be evaluated on his decades-long law enforcement career, most recently as head of the Maryland State Police.

Thomas Baldino, political science professor at Wilkes University, said that Brown "did not help himself" during the process and that the uniform and sign controversies provided more grist for criticism from Republicans and retired state troopers.

He "just gave people another reason to question his judgment," Baldino said.

Now, he said, the rejection of Brown - and his continued service as acting commissioner - has the potential to linger during a crucial few weeks. With an ambitious agenda for his budget, Wolf can ill afford to spend political capital battling over a rebuffed nominee, Baldino said.

"It just becomes another distraction for Wolf's more important struggle right now," he said.

Brown has not spoken publicly since his candidacy was rejected. State Police spokeswoman Maria Finn said he has maintained a normal work schedule.

J. Wesley Leckrone, political scientist at Widener University, said Brown's fate could be out of his hands, as Wolf and the Republican legislature dig in for a fight bigger than one nomination.

"They're really continuing to size themselves up," he said. "They're really testing each other and seeing where the limits are."

609-217-8305@cs_palmer

Inquirer staff writer Ben Finley contributed to this article.