Judicial race tops ballot
While a variety of local races may lure Fayette County voters to the polls on Tuesday, party leaders are saying that the first common pleas judge race in eight years will draw the most interest. Democratic Fayette County District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon, 53, and Republican Ernest P. DeHaas III, 62, are both vying for a seat on the judicial bench. The two also faced off in the primary, as each candidate filed on both the Republican and Democratic tickets.
President Judge Conrad B. Capuzzi is stepping down at the end of the year upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
There are five common pleas judges in the county.
Vernon won the Democratic nomination and DeHaas won the Republican nomination. Vernon also ran the last time county voters elected a judge, while DeHaas has never sought political office.
Fred L. Lebder, longtime leader of the Fayette County Democratic Party, predicts that Tuesday will result in an “unusual” turnout of about 40 percent, which is less than an average municipal election.
“It’s going to be low for November,” Lebder said.
However Lebder said in some areas, such as the city of Uniontown and the borough of Masontown, it will be higher.
In Uniontown, there are races for city council and in Masontown, there is a mayor’s race. Democrat incumbent Mayor Tom Loukota is facing a challenge from Toni Petrus, who is the daughter of former mayor Walter Scarton.
Petrus, a Democrat, lost in the primary to Loukota by a handful of votes, and received enough write-in votes to garner the Republican nomination.
Lebder said in the big countywide race, he believes Vernon will win the judgeship, pointing out that she only lost the Republican nomination by a few hundred votes.
According to the official vote total, Vernon received 11,992 Democratic votes and 2,435 Republican votes.
DeHaas received 7,024 Democratic votes and 2,750 Republican votes.
Fayette County Republican Chairwoman Dee John said she believes the judge race is the big draw as well, and she is hoping DeHaas will prevail.
“I’m so excited about our great candidates,” John said. “There are a lot of Republicans on the ticket.”
In Uniontown, Republican Gary Altman and Democrat Philip Michael are running for the 2-year seat on city council, while Republicans Russ Rhodes and Curtis R. Sproul and Democrats Gary Gearing and Francis “Joby” Palumbo III are seeking two 4-year seats on city council.
John said the party is getting different people to run, which is what is needed if change is to occur.
While John said she couldn’t predict the turnout on Tuesday, she said she is hoping that people get up and go vote.
“I’m hoping the turnout is 60 percent,” John said.
In addition to the common pleas judge race, there is a contest for state Supreme Court. Judge Joan Orie Melvin, 53, an Allegheny County Republican, is running against Judge Jack Panella, 54, a Democrat from Easton.
There are also races for seats on Superior and Commonwealth courts where four and two winners will be chosen, respectively.
Democrats running for Superior Court are Philadelphia County Common Pleas judges Anne Lazarus and Teresa Sarmina, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Robert Colville and Allegheny County prosecutor Kevin McCarthy. The Republican candidates include Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Judy Olson, Chester County Common Pleas Judge Paula Ott, Tioga County lawyer Sallie Mundy and Pittsburgh lawyer Temp Smith.
York lawyer Marakay Rogers is the lone candidate of the Libertarian Party.
The Commonwealth Court candidates are Democrats Barbara Behrend Ernsberger and Linda Judson, both Pittsburgh lawyers, and Republicans Kevin Brobson, a Harrisburg lawyer, and Patricia McCullough, a Pittsburgh lawyer.
There are also local races for school boards, township supervisor and tax collector, along with other uncontested races such as county treasurer, recorder of deeds and three local magisterial district judge races.
According to the Fayette County election bureau, there are 91,430 registered voters in the county, including 62,640 Democrats and 22,069 Republicans.
In the primary, there were 62,795 Democrats and 21,957 Republicans.
The county has 98 voting precincts.
For this election, two changes are being made. Voters in the Washington Township District 1 will vote at the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department in Fairhope instead of at the nearby Rostraver Ambulance building and Dunbar Township District 3 voters will cast ballots at the Connellsville/Mission Alliance Church at 598 Vanderbilt Road instead of the closed Devito Park.
In neighboring Greene County, where the local races are the focal point, there are 25,286 registered voters, including 16,770 Democrats and 6,713 Republicans. Two of the 44 precincts will have polling place changes, including Perry Township, wherevoters will cast ballots at the Senior Citizens’ Center at 303 Mount Morris Road in Mount Morris, and Greensboro Borough, where voters will cast ballots at the Log Cabin at the corner of Front and County streets.
The polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.