Nov 5, 2003 By Paul Sunyak 4 min read

In the most competitive top-to-bottom races for Fayette County commissioner in generations, Democrat Vincent A. Vicites and Republican Joe Hardy dueled for the top vote in Tuesday’s election, with Republican Angela M. Zimmerlink outlasting Democrat J. William Lincoln for the third spot. With 103 of 105 precincts reporting, Vicites had 14,800 votes, Hardy had 13,597 votes, Zimmerlink had 12,413 votes and Lincoln had 11,682 votes. Only two small precincts remained unaccounted for, according to sources in the Fayette County Election Bureau.

The unofficial results mean that Republicans will control the commissioners’ office for the first time in most county residents’ lives – just four years after the GOP suffered an embarrassing defeat when its two nominees failed to win even the minority commissioner spot.

As results trickled in, a three-way dogfight between Hardy, Zimmerlink and Lincoln actually morphed into a four-way battle as Hardy began breathing harder down Vicites’ proverbial neck.

Even though Vicites was the top vote getter, his lead stood at only 1,203 votes over Hardy, the lumber magnate and spa developer who had immense appeal to many Democrats. With 98 percent of the vote counted, Zimmerlink was 1,184 votes behind Hardy and Lincoln was 731 votes behind Zimmerlink.

Vicites started off drawing 31 percent of the vote, but that number tailed off to 27 percent as more than half the votes were counted. During that same span, Hardy inched away from the other contenders and closer to Vicites, garnering a steady 25 percent of the vote. As an example of the closeness evident all night, with 68 percent of the vote in, only six percentage points separated the first- and fourth-place candidates.

Two big surprises in the race were the competitiveness of Zimmerlink and the closeness of the Vicites-Hardy match for bragging rights as top vote getter. Hardy, whose campaign spending topped $566,000, appealed to voters with a folksy image and “give-me-a-chance” attitude.

The election also proved a major setback for Lincoln, who was backed by Democrat Party Chairman Fred L. Lebder and other party heavyweights, such as state Reps. Larry Roberts (D-South Union), James Shaner (D-Dunbar) and state Sen. Richard A. Kasunic (D-Dunbar).

Vicites even got into the unity act, teaming with Lincoln and aggressively pushing the former state senator as a running mate. Stumping Tuesday afternoon at the huge South Union 1 voting precinct, Vicites even wore a campaign button on his shirt featuring a photograph of Lincoln while urging supporters to vote for his running mate as well.

But in the end it was for naught, as Zimmerlink rode a populist wave that apparently put her in office despite spending only $8,000 in the primary and general elections combined. An outspoken board member of the Fayette County Housing Authority, Zimmerlink also profited from an endorsement from incumbent Democrat Commissioner Sean M. Cavanagh.

Cavanagh, ousted by Lincoln in the Democrat primary, took out newspaper advertisements and otherwise urged voters to plunk for Zimmerlink, saying she offered the common person’s only hope for a voice in that office.

Independent candidates Michael J. Cavanagh and Brian K. Lutes were nonfactors, with each garnering about 1 percent of the vote throughout the night. Cavanagh had 691 votes and Lutes had 526 votes.

Hardy, 80, was seeking elected office for the first time. He’s best known as the founder of the 84 Lumber Co. chain and the developer of the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Wharton Township, where he resides.

Zimmerlink, 42, lives in Redstone Township, where she serves as GOP committeewoman. She works as a paralegal in Greensburg, co-owns a paint store with her husband Tom and has spent six years on the Fayette County Housing Authority board of directors.

Vicites, 43, the only incumbent in the group, resides in South Union Township and was seeking a third term as commissioner, having been first elected in 1995. Prior to that he served as director of the county’s Solid Waste Management Department and as its recycling program coordinator.

Lincoln, 63, of Connellsville, came out of a decade-long retirement after serving 16 years as a state senator, six years as a state representative and three years as a district justice. While in the senate, he spent two years as majority leader and eight years as Democrat Whip. He also chaired the Democrat State Committee for three years.