Republican voters in the state's 46th Legislative District will see no name on the ballot in Tuesday's election, but that doesn't mean there won't be candidates vying for the position.

Republican Frank Yuvan received enough signatures to appear on the ballot for the GOP nomination, but dropped out of the race when his petition was challenged in court by Democratic incumbent Jesse White.

Now both men are seeking the Republican nod as write-ins. Mr. White is uncontested for the Democratic party nomination.

Mr. Yuvan, 25, a martial arts instructor, personal trainer and comic book store owner from Canton, ran for Republican jury commissioner in 2005, and said he's challenging Mr. White now because he wants to do more for his community.

"Now would be the perfect time to step in and do my part," he said.

As a small-business owner, Mr. Yuvan said he would favor a reduction in corporate income tax, which he said is hurting business people such as himself in Pennsylvania.

"It's absolutely obscene," he said. "It's unfair."

He also wants to tighten government and education spending, and to find a way to reopen Dutch Fork Lake, which was emptied after Hurricane Ivan damaged its spillway in 2004.

The lake is not in the 46th district, which includes much of northern and western Washington County and small portions of Beaver and Allegheny County, but Mr. Yuvan said he grew up fishing there and said it's a local resource that's being lost. He said he's tired of lip service from local politicians about costly repairs -- estimated at more than $6 million -- and believes someone should step forward in a leadership role.

"They just talk and talk and nobody does anything about it," he said.

The Washington County Republican Party supports Mr. Yuvan and is sending out literature on his behalf.

Mr. White, a 29-year-old lawyer from Cecil, is wrapping up his first term in office. He replaced longtime incumbent Victor Lescovitz, who retired after 26 years in office.

Coming into the state Legislature during the tumultuous turnover after the pay raise flap gave him an interesting perspective, Mr. White said.

He said he and his freshman colleagues are integrated now, and have worked together for passage of one of their top platform issues -- a new open records act, representing the first major reform of that law in 50 years.

"The new blood has come in and we've all learned to work together," he said.

Mr. White said his top priority continues to be property tax reform, and finding ways to increase state funding of education, rather than the use of school property tax.

It's a difficult battle though, Mr. White said, because priorities are different across the state.

"To get the haves to share with the have-nots is very frustrating," he said.

Mr. White is also planning to institute an economic resource center, which would employ a grant writer who would assist local government countywide with grant applications.

Washington County civil court records show Mr. White was involved in litigation against a former landlord to get his security deposit back, and in an unsuccessful defamation suit against a Claysville newspaper in 2004. He successfully sued two former business partners over the sale of a Cecil coffee shop last year.

Records also show a lawsuit against Mr. Yuvan involving an automobile accident in 2004 was dropped.