Candidates for top of the ticket offices have been hitting the hustings these past few weeks in preparation for the primary election on Tuesday.
The 2019 election cycle highlights local elected offices that range from county judge to township supervisor, city council member, school director and more.
The May 21 primary election in Pennsylvania is a closed primary, a designation that allows only registered Republicans and Democrats to cast ballots for their candidates. The winners will take the party nominations into the general election in November.
The exception to political party-only voting are ballot referendums in Barkeyville and Utica that ask voters whether they support allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages within their communities.
All voters may cast yes or no ballots for those questions.
In addition to the local posts up for election, there are three seats on the Pennsylvania Superior Court and two seats on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court that will be on voters’ ballots next week.
While there are scores of candidates’ names listed on both the Democratic and Republican ballots, there are also numerous entries for elected posts that carry no names. Voters may write in candidates for those slots.
Here is a listing of the top tri-county ballot entries for the May 21 primary election.
Venango County
Commmissioners
Democrat – Albert “Chip” Abramovic, Bonnie Summers
Republican – Joe Carulli II, Darrell C. Karns, Mike Dulaney, Sam Breene, Tim Brooks
Voters will nominate two from each party on May 21. Three will be elected in the fall.
Brooks and Abramovic are incumbents. The third incumbent, Vince Witherup, is not seeking re-election.
Treasurer
Republican – Deborah Sharpe
Sharpe, the incumbent, won her first four-year term in 2003.
Prothonotary
Democrat – Jamie Hunt
Republican – Lana Linden
The incumbent, Paula Palmer, has held the office since 2009 but is not seeking another term.
Auditors
Republicans – Jamie Weaver, Heather Mohnkern
Democrat – Terri L. McFadden
The incumbents are Mohnkern, Weaver and McFadden.
Voters will nominate two Republicans and two Democrats, and three will be elected in the fall.
District judge 3-1
Democrat – Andrew Fish
Republican – Andrew Fish
Fish, who cross-filed on both tickets, is completing his second six-year term in office.
OIL CITY
Mayor
Republican – Bill Moon
Moon is seeking re-election to a second term.
Council (2)
Democrat – Michael Walentosky
Republican – Dale Massie, Ron Gustafson
Massie and Gustafson are the incumbents.
FRANKLIN
Council
1st District
Republican – Donna Fletcher
2nd District
Republican – Christian Marshall, Ryan Rudegeair
3rd District
Republican – Fred Mays
Council members whose terms expire this year are Fletcher, Mays and James Marshall.
Clarion County
Common Pleas judge
Democrat – Mark Aaron, Sarah Seidle-Patton, Erich Spessard
Republican – Mark Aaron, Sarah Seidle-Patton, Eric Spessard
All three candidates cross-filed for the 10-year post. The incumbent, James G. Arner, is not seeking re-election.
Commissioners
Democrat – Ed Heasley
Republican – Kirke Wise, Ted Tharan, Wayne Brosius
The incumbents are Tharan, Brosius and Heasley. Voters will nominate two from each party, in the primary election. Three will be elected in November.
District attorney
Republican – Drew Welsh, Maria Battista
The incumbent is Mark Aaron who is seeking the county judge’s job.
Register-Recorder
Republican – Greg Mortimer
Mortimer is completing his eighth four-year term in office.
Prothonotary
Republican – Jeff Himes
Himes is in his third term as prothonotary.
Treasurer
Republican – Tom McConnell
McConnell is completing his first term in office.
Auditors
Democrat – Pamela Zahoran
Republican – Sue Leonard, Jolene Weaver Frampton
All three are incumbent auditors. Voters will elect three in the fall.
District judge
Democrat – Garrett Tharan, Russ Cataldo, Jarah Heeter, Melissa Fulton
Republican – Jarah Heeter, Damien P. Avery, Russ Cataldo, Melissa Fulton, Michelle Magness, Garrett tharan, Rodney Sherman
Four of the seven candidates cross-filed on both tickets.
The incumbent, Amy Long Turk, is not seeking re-election. The district office is in Knox.
District judge
District 3-4
Democrat – Jeff Miller, Shelley Ritzler
Republican – Shelley Ritzler, Jeff Miller
Miller is the incumbent. Both candidates cross-filed. The office is located in New Bethlehem.
Forest County
Commissioners
Democrat – Robert Snyder Jr.
Republican – Pat Kline, Michael Oliver, Mark Kingston, Basil Huffman
The incumbents are Huffman, Snyder and Norman Wimer. Wimer, who is coroner, is not seeking re-election to a commissioner post.
Voters will nominate two from each party and they will stand for election to three seats in November.
District attorney
Democrat – Alyce Busch
The incumbent is Barbara Litten, a Republican, who is not seeking re-election.
Coroner
Republican – Norman Wimer
Wimer, the incumbent, won his first four-year term in 2003.
Treasurer
Republican – Stacey L. Barnes
Barnes was named to the office in 2018 to succeed Pamela Millin who retired after 30 years.
Register/recorder/prothonotary
Republican – Dawn M. Millin
Millin, the incumbent, was first elected in 2007.
Auditors
Democrat – Deborah Wagner
Republican – Melissa Ruth, Catolyn Mealy, Cathy Blum
The incumbents are Mealy, Wagner and Louise Fedora. Voters will nominate two Republicans and two Democrats in the primary. Three will be elected in November.
District judge
Democrat – Daniel Miller
Republican – Daniel Miller
Miller, who cross-filed, is the incumbent. The district serves all of Forest County.