Nick Miccarelli emerged a winner in November after one of the toughest state Legislature races in memory.

The Republican went mano a mano with Democratic labor leader John DeFrancisco to fill the Pa. House of Representatives seat being vacated by longtime Rep. Ron Raymond. It was a bitter, nasty street fight.

Miccarelli was the guy still standing at the end of this bare-knuckles bout, and staked claim to the 162nd District seat, keeping it in Republican hands.

He might of thought his fighting days were over.

Not exactly.

Miccarelli will be taking a slight detour on the way to Harrisburg. By way of Iraq.

Miccarelli is a member of the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Pennsylvania National Guard. His unit is being deployed to Iraq in February. It’s not Miccarelli’s first trip to the war zone. He’s already done one tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he also did a stint in Kosovo back in 2003-04.

Miccarelli will be on hand with the rest of the state Legislature when he takes the oath on Jan. 6. But he will be wearing a different uniform come February.

Miccarelli made his military status clear during the campaign, and did not blink an eye when the call for the new deployment came in.

The state representative-elect embodies the idea of the citizen soldier.

He’s making sure that in his absence his office will be up and running, serving residents as normal.

Miccarelli, who is also a member of Ridley Park Borough Council, will take a leave of absence. He expects to return to Delaware County – and Harrisburg – some time in 2010.

He’s not the first member of the Legislature to be called to duty. Miccarelli was joined on a conference call yesterday by state Sen. John Pippy, R-Allegheny, who was called to active duty in the middle of his election campaign in 2003.

Democratic Delco Rep. Bryan Lentz, R-161, served in Iraq before being elected to the Legislature.

We really only ask one thing of Miccarelli at this point.

Return safely.

Godspeed, soldier.