Commissioner candidate withdraws
A Peters Township councilwoman has withdrawn from the May primary race for a seat on the Washington County Commission.
Republican Monica Merrell announced Tuesday that she will instead remain at the local level.
Merrell, owner of Vesta Business Services, a consulting firm, launched a successful write-in campaign three years ago to secure a council seat.
She announced her candidacy for county commissioner in early February.
In a brief press release, Merrell said that she was grateful for the support that she had received from local residents, the leadership and members of Washington, Finley and Union 9-12 Project groups and township GOP members.
“(I) look forward in continuing to work with these groups in the future,” she stated in the release.
Other Republican candidates that have announced their bid for the office include current Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan and former Observer-Reporter newspaper co-publisher Bill Northrop.
Democratic candidates include attorney John M. Petrisek, Washington Councilman Joe Manning, businessman Harlan Shober, North Strabane Township supervisors Chairman Greg Sulc, Washington-Greene Central Labor Council President Wayne Watson and incumbent Commissioner Larry Maggi.
Commissioner J. Bracken Burns is not seeking re-election.
He has served four terms in the office.