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Too close to call

By Steve Barrett, For The 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – In an incredibly close race Tuesday for the seat of Greene County Court of Common Pleas Judge, Democratic candidate Lou Dayich unofficially pulled slightly ahead of Republican candidate Jeffry Grimes by a total of just 94 votes.

However, that does not mean that Dayich can officially celebrate the victory just yet; the total does not include the 324 absentee ballots that are expected to be counted today in the Greene County elections office.

According to unofficial results posted late Tuesday after all 44 voting precincts reported, Dayich, who is currently serving as a magisterial district judge for the county, received 4,391 total votes, or 50.5 percent; and Grimes, an attorney, tallied 4,297 votes, or 49.4 percent.

In addition to the absentee ballots, the total unofficial vote tally does not include write-in votes; however, there were only three write-in votes reported by the end of the election.

Elections director Tina Kiger said the absentee ballots are expected to be counted sometime this afternoon, and the canvass of votes cast during the election will start on Friday.

Dayich and Grimes were not available for comment by press time.

Dayich and Grimes were vying to replace Judge William Nalitz, who retired in December.

During the May primary, the candidates cross-filed and their names appeared on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Dayich won the Democratic ballot and Grimes won the Republican ballot during the primary.

Greene did not become a two-judge county until Nalitz was elected in 1997, joining Judge H. Terry Grimes. Nalitz was retained for a second term in 2007, becoming president judge in 2009 following Grimes’ retirement that year.

To fill the vacancy left by Grimes’ retirement, then-Gov. Ed Rendell appointed Farley Toothman, a former county commissioner and solicitor, who subsequently ran for a full, 10-year term in 2011, capturing both party nominations.

Three years later, in December 2014, Nalitz retired at the mandatory age of 70, leaving Greene County as a one-judge county again.

Also during the Tuesday election, a number of county row offices ran unopposed on the ballot, including clerk of courts, treasurer, controller, register and recorder, district attorney and prothonotary.

The Tuesday election also featured a number of local races for school directors in all five school districts in Greene County, as well as for positions of tax collectors, auditors, constables, township supervisors, mayors and council members.

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