Voters to decide county and municipal leaders, state judges in election
As the early colonists positioned themselves to establish their own government, Pennsylvania residents were urged to send their very best representatives to the anticipated Philadelphia convention as the decisions to be made there would impact them to “the end of time.”
“It becomes you therefore to choose such persons only to act for you in the ensuing convention, as are distinguished for wisdom, integrity and a firm attachment to the liberties of this province, as well as to the liberties of the United Colonies in general,” wrote John Hancock, congressional president to the Pennsylvania overseers.
It has been 239 years since the gathering in Philadelphia, yet the premise to send those of high moral character to represent the people remains central during elections.
On Tuesday, nearly 80,000 Fayette County residents have the opportunity to elect who will govern at the county and municipal levels and also choose those that will serve on the state’s highest courts.
However, Larry Blosser, county election bureau director, expects only a small fraction of the electorate to select the next commissioners, county row officers, magisterial district judges, school board members, and municipal leaders.
“All elections are important, but municipal elections don’t seem to draw that much interest,” he said. “There will be some precincts that have a better turnout because of some of the races, but overall, I think we will see less than 30 percent of the voters at the polls.”
According to election bureau figures, 49,623 Democrats are eligible to vote Tuesday along with 22,767 registered Republicans. There are 6,712 residents affiliated with an Independent party.
Six contested county races will be on the ballot, two magisterial district judge races, three school board races and several township and city races.
Blosser speculates that if voters turn out in higher numbers it will be tied to the commissioner, magisterial district judge and the South Union Township supervisor races, in addition to the Connellsville school board and council contests.
“Those are the ones that seem to be drawing the most interest,” he said.
Six candidates – two Democrats, two Republicans and two Independents – are seeking a seat on the three-member commission.
Incumbent Commissioners Angela M. Zimmerlink and Al Ambrosini hope to be re-elected to another four-year term, while former Commissioners Vince Vicites and Sean Cavanagh are seeking to return to the panel.
Insurance salesman and financial planner Dave Lohr is making his fifth bid for the office in the commission race, while businessman Jack J. Cole is new to the political arena.
Voters can make two commission selections when casting their ballot on Tuesday.
Several contested row office seats are also on the ballot, including the sheriff’s position, controller, clerk of courts, register of wills and coroner’s post.
Barring a successful write-in campaign, Connellsville attorney Richard Bower will be the county district attorney with Nina Capuzzi Frankhouser retaining her prothonotary position.
Attorney Charity Grimm-Krupa who garnered the Republican nomination in the spring primary, and German Township Supervisor Dan Shimshock, who won the Democratic nod, will square off in the Masontown area magisterial district race.
In South Union and Menallen townships, GOP nominee Earl Wright, a former Uniontown police officer, and Democratic nominee Jennifer Jeffries, a legislative aid, will vie for the magisterial district judge position.
Connellsville area Magistrate Ron Haggerty and Uniontown area Magistrate Michael Metros are running unopposed.
Voters in the Brownsville, Frazier and Uniontown school districts narrowed the list of directors to five in the spring primary.
However, their counterparts in Connellsville and Laurel Highlands school districts must make choices to pare the number to five on Tuesday as both have six candidates on the ballot. Albert Gallatin voters will choose one of two candidates to serve a two year term on the board.
Supervisory positions are up for grabs in Bullskin, Connellsville, Dunbar, Franklin, Luzerne, South Union and Springhill townships. Point Marion Borough voters will decide one council seat on Tuesday.
With the resignation of one Connellsville City councilman and the withdrawal of a second from the race, voters will choose two of the four candidates to serve four year terms and between a Republican and Democrat vying for a two-year term.
State judicial seats will also be on the ballot Tuesday, including the Supreme Court, Superior Court and Commonwealth Court.
Blosser, meanwhile said that the bureau staff will collect and count the ballots from the now-80 precincts and those that were completed through the absentee ballot process before posting the results.
Bureau workers will begin counting write-in votes on Wednesday, he said.
“They will not be a part of the initial vote count,” he said.
The complete listing of races and candidates and polling locations are posted on the bureau website at http://www.co.fayette.pa.us/election. Results will be listed after the polls close Tuesday.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.