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Today is election day, when Democratic and Republican voters across Luzerne County get to decide which judicial, city and borough council, township supervisor, school board and other candidates will win party nominations to advance and appear on November ballots.
While only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in party nomination contests on Tuesday’s, unaffiliated and other party voters in Luzerne County can vote on a Hazleton City Government Study Commission question and a proposed Nanticoke City home rule charter referendum about term limits.
Luzerne County judge
A marquee race is the battle for Luzerne County judge, an 11th seat being added to the bench.
Attorneys Mark Bufalino and Tom Mosca are both cross-filed on the Republican and Democratic ballots. If one wins both nominations, he would be almost assured to win the seat in the general election. Otherwise, if each captures a nomination, they would square off in the fall.
County races
Five seats are also up for grabs for Luzerne County Council, the 11-member legislative branch of government.
Nine Republicans, including four incumbents, are running to win five nominations. Incumbents Kevin Lescavage, West Pittston; John Lombardo, Pittston; Brian Thornton, West Pittston; and Gregory Wolovich Jr., Hanover Twp., are seeking second terms and have teamed up with Jackie Scarcella, a Hazleton Area school board member from Hazle Twp.
The other GOP candidates include former councilman Steve J. Urban, Kingston; Thomas Dombroski, Dallas Twp.; Ronald Knapp, Nanticoke; and Rob Viars, Slocum Twp.
Seven Democrats are running for five nominations. They are Chris Belles, West Pittston; Steven Coslett, Forty Fort; Tony Perzia, Luzerne; Johnny Price, Dupont; Dawn Simmons, Wilkes-Barre; Emily Singh, Fairmount Twp.; and Denise Williams, Kingston Twp.
Council currently has a 7-4 Republican majority.
Luzerne County will also vote for controller this year. Walter Griffith, the Republican incumbent, is unopposed, as is Democratic challenger, a former Luzerne County councilman Tim McGinley.
District judge contests
One of the most competitive races is the battle for magisterial district judge in the Wyoming area. Three attorneys are vying to replace retiring District Judge Joseph Carmody.
The candidates include Bob Boyer of Wyoming, Carmody’s son Matt Carmody of West Pittston, and Laura Dennis-Bovani of West Pittston.
The magisterial district is composed of Exeter, Exeter Twp., West Pittston, West Wyoming and Wyoming.
The race for district judge in Edwardsville and Kingston only features one candidate on the ballot, but two others who wanted to be on the ballot are running spirited write-in campaigns.
Joshua Moses of Kingston, who graduated law school on Monday, is cross-filed on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Bill Hardwick of Kingston and Anthony Margavage failed to qualify for the ballot following paperwork submission errors — they failed to also file petitions with the county manager’s office — and are mounting write-in bids.
Ballot questions
Two of the county’s four cities — Hazleton and Nanticoke — have referendum questions on the ballot.
Hazleton voters will be asked, “Shall a Government Study Commission of Seven Members Be Elected to Study the Existing Form of Government of The City of Hazleton, To Consider the Advisability of The Adoption of a Home Rule Charter, And If Advisable, To Draft and Recommend a Home Rule Charter?”
Twelve candidates are running for a potential study commission if the referendum is approved.
Nanticoke voters will be asked, “Should the City of Nanticoke Home Rule Charter Be Amended to Eliminate Section 2.10 Which Reads as Follows: Members of City Council May Not Serve More Than Three (3) Elected, Consecutive City Council Terms.”
Schools boards
In the Crestwood School District, there are eight candidates cross-filed for four positions. The candidates include Richard Nardone, Tom Stavitzski, Peter Strecker, John Macri, Jill McGovern-Koptcho, Michael Namey, Justine Mirilovich, and Nanci Romanyshyn.
Hazleton’s School Board has seven cross-filed candidates battling for four positions, including Ed Shemansky, Jared O’Donnell, Carmella Yenkevich, Matthew Nause, Jeffrey Kubitz, Patricia Tomsho and Wister Yuhas Jr.
In the Dallas School District, there are six candidates in the Democratic race — Amanda Faneck, Christine Swailes, Amy Brakefield, Michael Dimare, Sherri Newell and Kelly Kavanagh-Watkins — for five positions, while the Republican ballot features those six candidates and only one candidate, Ron Zukosky, running solely for the GOP nomination.
Lake-Lehman’s race has three candidates running on the Republican side for two positions — Russ Johnson, Drew Salko, and Chritsine Napierkowski — while Salko and Johnson are also cross-filed in the Democratic race.
In the Pittston Area School District, there are six candidates cross-filed for four positions, including Tim Cotter, Marty Quinn, Matt Marriggi, Katherine Healey, John Adonizio, and Marissa Chiumento.
Wilkes-Barre’s race for four positions is not competitive as all four candidates are cross-filed.
Likewise, Greater Nanticoke Area has five candidates cross-filed for five positions, including David Hornlein Jr., Chet Beggs, Frank Shepanski, Megan Tennesen, and Wendy Wiatrowski Graves.
In Wyoming Area, there are five candidates cross-filed for four positions, including David Alberigi, John Bonin, Anthony Burke, Erica Sawicki Gazda, and Joseph Kopko.
Wyoming Valley West’s Region 2 position — representing Larksville and Plymouth — features two cross-filed candidates, John Perfetto and Shannon Shovlin.
Municipal races
There are various competitive municipal races throughout Luzerne County, perhaps the most notable being for mayor and council in Forty Fort.
Two competing Republican tickets have emerged, Forty Fort Proud and Forty Fort United.
Fort Fort Proud includes candidates Tony Smith for mayor and Amy Carrozza, Lee Corbett, and LeeAnn McDermott for council
Forty Fort United is composed of candidates Mary Ann Bottaro for mayor and Tori Carey, Amanda Gallagher, and Sara Michaels for council.
There is a competitive race for mayor in Duryea on the Democratic side with Mayor Jeffrey Bauman facing a challenge from Trinia Moss.
In Harveys Lake, Mayor Michael Rush is facing a challenge from Jason Simoson on the Republican side. Also on the Republican side, five candidates are seeking three nominations, including Jessica Kelly, Clarence Hogan, Matthew Bucknavage, David Delaney and Brandon Harris.
Dallas Borough features three Republicans — Todd Buckley, Alexandra Treslar, and Lee Eckert — battling for two nominations for council.
In Foster Twp., three Republicans — John Pavuk, Alica Lachewitz, and Benjamin Evancho — are running for one nomination for supervisor.
Four Republicans are running for three council positions in Freeland, including Matthew Krone, Frederick Ackers, Frank Kislan and Thomas Meyers.
Hughestown has four Democrats — Carolyn D’Elia Moscatelli, Barbara Gatto, Robert Gable, and Marie Griglock — running for three council spots.
Laflin has three Republicans — Carl Yastremski, Walter Wrazien, and Marc Malvizzi — competing for two council positions.
In Lehman Twp, David Sutton faces Michael Stash in the race for one supervisor spot on the Republican side.
Pittston Twp. features a supervisors race between Joe Hawk and Charles Guarnieri on the Democratic side.
Five Republicans are competing for three nominations for council in Shickshinny, including Kathy Llewellyn, Randy Hurst, Tina Thompson, Beverly Moore, and Rosalie Whitebread.
Four Republicans are running for two council spots in West Pittston, including Ariane Pupali, Ellen Quinn, John Kearns and Jared Jordan.
Wright Twp. has a race for tax collector on the Republican side between Debra Macko and Laura Beers.
In Wyoming Borough, two Democratic candidates are running for the Ward 1 council seat, John Bell and John Lipski.
In Butler Twp., two Republicans — incumbent Dr. Frank Polidora and John Matteo — are running for supervisor.
In Black Creek Twp., Republicans Joseph Dretzel, George Nause and incumbent Rolland Cheesman compete for a six-year term on the board of supervisors and Shawn LaBuda and Clint Jason Jastrzebski face off for a two-year seat.
Polls open, close
The 186 polling locations in Luzerne County open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Having Issues?
Contact the Luzerne County’s election bureau at 570-825-1715. If voters need voting information or encounter voting problems, they can call the state’s year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA.
Where to return mail-in ballots?
On Election Day, the lone place to return mail-in ballots is the county’s Penn Place building at 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Wilkes-Barre. Ballots will be accepted in the main lobby and election bureau on the second floor from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The deadline to drop off mail-in ballots at the county’s Hazleton Exchange Building, 100 W. Broad St. in Hazleton was Monday at 4 p.m.
How to find your polling place?
To find your polling location visit pavoterservices.pa.gov and click on “Find Your Polling Place.” Luzerne County has a complete list of all polling locations available at luzernecounty.org/396/Elections that can be accessed by clicking on the “Polling Locations List.”
Checking results
Results for Luzerne County’s races will be available at luzernecounty.org after polls close at 8 p.m.
Weather
The election day forecast calls for sunny skies with a high temperature of 68 degrees at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport and a high temperature of 63 degrees at the Hazleton Municipal Airport.
