Candidates crowd field for Fayette commissioner
The incumbent triumvirate of Sean M. Cavanagh, Vincent A. Vicites and Ronald M. Nehls will square off in the Democrat primary against three challengers in the race for Fayette County commissioner. Former state Sen. J. William “Bill” Lincoln has come out of a nine-year retirement to join the Democrat field, which includes former county controller Harry J. Fike and newcomer Vincent Zapotosky, a former aide to U.S. Rep. Frank Mascara.
Cavanagh, Vicites, Nehls and Fike each live in South Union Township; Zapotosky lives in Uniontown; and Lincoln resides in Connellsville.
Six Republicans also filed nominating petitions in the Fayette County Election Bureau by the 4:30 p.m. Tuesday deadline. The GOP field includes Dave Lohr, who is making his third run for commissioner, and Angela M. Zimmerlink, who is running for the second time.
Lohr of South Connellsville has served four years on the Fayette County Election Board and Zimmerlink of Redstone Township just started her second five-year term on the Fayette County Housing Authority board of directors.
The Republican field includes multimillionaire Joe Hardy, founder of the 84 Lumber Co. chain and developer of the posh Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Wharton Township.
Rounding out the GOP field are Donald M. Miller II of South Union Township, a roofing company owner and former member of Uniontown City Council; John C. Evans of Luzerne Township, who works for the Uniontown CareerLink office; and Ken Firestone of Springfield Township, who runs an insurance business in Bedford, according to county GOP chairman Christopher D.L. Sepesy.
Vicites and Cavanagh are seeking election to a third consecutive term as commissioner, having been elected in 1995 and re-elected in 1999. Nehls is seeking a second term, having been elected in 1999.
Fike served as county controller until his defeat eight years ago by Democrat Gerald W. “Jerry” Bukovitz. Fike was one of several candidates for commissioner knocked out of the 1999 primary election over paperwork filing problems.
Lincoln retired in November 1994 after serving 22 years in the state legislature. He announced his retirement in late 1993, scarcely one year after ascending to the powerful post of Senate Majority Leader.
Although Lincoln was widely rumored as a potential commission candidate four years ago, his candidacy never materialized. Politically, Lincoln is close to former commissioner and current Democrat Party Chairman Fred L. Lebder, whom Lincoln once said was a father-like figure to him.
Zapotosky lost his job when Mascara was defeated last year by fellow U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) in a redistricting-inspired primary election runoff.
On the Republican side, Lohr has twice flirted with election wins at the commission level. In 1995 he lost the third and final seat to fellow Republican Harry E. Albert III by fewer than 300 votes, in an election that Lohr claimed was tainted by voter fraud at personal care homes.
In 1999 Lohr ran as an independent in a team with Cavanagh after court rulings knocked both of them off their respective party ballots. Lohr again finished fourth in that race, but scored a moral victory by finishing ahead of the two GOP nominees.
Zimmerlink never made it out of the GOP primary four years ago, a task she undertook shortly after being appointed to the FCHA board. She has since solidified a reputation as a minority voice on that five-person board, mostly speaking out against excessive spending.
Hardy registered to vote in the county in 1995 and has made a name for himself through his ongoing expansion of Nemacolin, which includes the Chateau Lafayette hotel and two golf courses.
Evans and Firestone are relative unknowns in the political arena, while Miller is well known in the Uniontown area in his roles as a businessman and former city council member.