Mon-Yough area voters have plenty of candidates to consider before heading to polls

Patrick Cloonan
Monday, Nov. 2, 2015 12:00 a.m. | Monday, Nov. 2, 2015 12:00 a.m.

On the ballot

Other contests include (for four-year terms unless otherwise noted, with asterisks indicating incumbents):

• Ryan O. Hemminger (D) takes on Keith R. Balint (R) for a two-year Elizabeth Forward school board seat.

• *Steven E. Kondrosky (D-R), *Mary Jane Keller (D-R), *Joe Lopretto (D-R), James Brown (D), Mindy L. Moody (D-R) and Terri Kisan (R) seek five McKeesport Area school board seats.

*Christopher A. Halaszynski (D) is alone on the ballot for a two-year MASD seat; *Soleil Meade seeks write-ins.

• *Russell A. Geary (D-R), *James Jackson (D-R), Troy E. Mitchell (D), *Luke F. Riley (D-R), Ronald K. Randic (D-R), *Timothy V. Wackowski (R) and Bryan R. Myers (Independent) seek five South Allegheny school board seats.

• *Mary Yuhas (D), James Bulger (D-R), David J. Colasante (D-R) and *Thomas Olson (R) seek three at-large Steel Valley school board seats; two candidates are unopposed in Regions 2 and 3.

• Suzanne M. Downer (D-R), David Dominick (D-R), Jill Achtzehn Bertini (D-R), Brian Fernandes (D-R), Kerri L. Gonot (D-R) and *Darlene Schreiber (Elect Darlene Schreiber) seek five West Jefferson Hills school board seats.

• Debra J. Kostelnik (D-R), Stephen Kovac (D-R), Tony DiCenzo (D-R), *Judith E. Andzelik (D-R), Janice L. Gladden (D) and Nicholas Alexandroff (R) seek five West Mifflin Area school board seats.

• For Elizabeth Township board of commissioners, *Claire M. Bryce (D) opposes Andrew Kuzma (R) in Ward 3, Jane F. Blake (D) opposes Michael T. O'Rourke (R) in Ward 5 and candidates are unopposed in Wards 1 and 7.

• For Glassport council, *Anna Maria Kudla (D), *Thomas W. Bradley Jr. (D), *David F. Kowalski (D) and Keith DiMarco (D) are alone on the ballot for four four-year seats and DiMarco is unopposed for a two-year seat; *Angelo Norelli seeks write-ins for a four-year seat.

• For Irwin council, *Joanna Jordan (D), Bob Wayman (D), Chad Mower (D), *Deb Kelly (R), Richard Burdelski (R) and Michael Yunn (R) seek three seats.

• For McKeesport council, *Keith A. Soles (D), Timothy L. Brown (D), *Richard J. Dellapenna (D) and Corry J. Sanders (D) are alone on the ballot for four seats, while Dana Brown Sr. seeks write-ins.

• For North Huntingdon Township board of commissioners, Mike Faccenda Jr. (D) opposes *Fran Bevan (R) for a two-year term in Ward 6, Duane Kucera (D) opposes Bob Galley (D) in Ward 7 and candidates are unopposed in Wards 1, 3 and 5.

• For North Versailles Township board of commissioners, *George S. Thompson (D) opposes Darryl Roher (R) in Ward 1, Allen R. Wagner (D) opposes *George Beswick (R) in Ward 3 and candidates are unopposed in Wards 5 and 7.

• For Port Vue council, *Bryan Myers II (D-R), *Kenneth J. Hresko (D), Greg M. Lombardo (D-R) and Harry Hart (R) seek three seats.

• For Versailles council, Joel C. Elm (D), William E. Kruczek (D), *Cynthia Richards (D) and *Dennis B. Keefe (R) seek three seats.

• For West Mifflin council, *Robert J. Kostelnik (D-R), Frank Stupar Jr., *Steven Marone (D) and John Edward Koczka (R) seek three seats.

• For Wilmerding mayor, Gregory M. Jakub (D) opposes *Henry C. Slaczka; For Wilmerding council, *Michael A. Trkula (D), *Paula J. Shurgot (D), *Dorothy L. Reeves (D), *Karen Peterson (D), William R. Pricener (R) and Coleen Kathryn Loesback (R) seek four seats.

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Fewer than one out of three registered voters in Allegheny County may turn out at the polls between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday.

That's despite sometimes spirited contests for judicial, county, school board and municipal seats, including a seven-way White Oak council race made more lively over plans to expand the White Oak Athletic Association complex.

White Oak, incidentally, has the area's only change in polling places, according to Allegheny County officials.

Residents in the borough's third election district who formerly voted at the now-closed White Oak Elementary School will vote Tuesday at Francis McClure Intermediate School, 500 Longvue Drive.

Allegheny County Elections Division manager Mark Wolosik projects a 28 percent turnout, comparable to the 27.06 percent turnout in 2011 and 29.1 percent in 2007, the last two times that a county executive was chosen.

Citing a higher number of absentee ballots, Westmoreland County Elections Bureau voting system coordinator Beth Lechman said a 32 percent turnout is expected in her county, up from 29 percent four years ago.

Incumbent Democrat Rich Fitzgerald of Greenfield seeks a second term as Allegheny County executive. No Republican opposes him, but Todd Elliott Koger of Wilkinsburg claims the backing of Black Lives Matter groups as an independent.

Koger is running as well for an at-large seat on Allegheny County Council against Democratic incumbent John P. DeFazio and Republican state committeeman Sam DeMarco. Voters are asked to pick one candidate, but the top two will be elected.

For four-year council seats, Democratic incumbent John F. Palmiere is unopposed in District 6 and Democrat Paul Klein is unopposed in District 11. However, for the last two months of the late Barbara Daly Danko's District 11 term, the choices are Democrat Terri R. Klein (no relation to Paul Klein) and Republican Andy Dlinn, both of Pittsburgh, and Constitutional candidate Albert A. Lengyel of Munhall.

McKeesport native Mike George, an Adams County judge, is one of three Republicans running for state Supreme Court, along with Judy Olson of the North Hills and Anne Covey of Bucks County. David Wecht and Christine Donohue of Allegheny County and Kevin M. Dougherty of Bucks County are the Democratic nominees while Paul P. Panepinto of Philadelphia is running as an independent.

Two eastern jurists vie for Superior Court, Democrat Alice Beck Dubow and Republican Emil Giordano, while two from suburban Pittsburgh, Democrat Michael Wojcik and Republican Paul Lalley, seek a Commonwealth Court seat.

In state Supreme Court Lalley argued on behalf of three area districts against a 2007 law mandating transfer of Duquesne students to West Mifflin Area and East Allegheny high schools and forcing area districts to hire laid-off Duquesne teachers; Wojcik is a former Allegheny County solicitor.

Former Pleasant Hills Magisterial District Judge Guy Reschenthaler has the Republican nod and Women and Girls Foundation CEO Heather Arnet of Mt. Lebanon is the Democratic nominee in a special election to succeed 37th District state Sen. Matt Smith. The 37th covers the South Hills from the Pittsburgh International Airport corridor to Jefferson Hills.

Democratic incumbents are unopposed for controller, district attorney and treasurer in Allegheny County.

Five Westmoreland row offices are contested, with four Republican incumbents taking on Democratic challengers, including a rematch between Recorder of Deeds Frank Schiefer and his predecessor, Tom Murphy.

Controller Jeffrey Balzer squares off against Joseph S. Dreskler Jr.; Treasurer Jared M. Squires faces John Scott Nestor; and Sheriff Jonathan Held is up against Paul Cycak.

Republican Register of Wills Michael Ginsburg, 63, chose not to run for a second term and endorsed his chief deputy, Sherry Magretti Hamilton, who is challenged by Democrat Maria G. DiPiazza.

The GOP is defending its edge on the county board of commissioners. The incumbent majority of retired military man Charles Anderson and past Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce board chairman Tyler Courtney is challenged by Norwin native and Democratic incumbent Ted Kopas and Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County spokeswoman Gina Cerilli.

Both counties have four candidates for three Common Pleas Court seats. In Allegheny, Jennifer Staley McCrady and Dan Regan share the Democratic slate with Hugh Fitzpatrick McGough and the Republican with P.J. Murray. In Westmoreland, Scott Mears and Harry F. Smail Jr. share the Democratic slate with David A. Regoli and the Republican with state Rep. Tim Krieger.

Eight judges are up for yes or no votes on retention for additional 10-year terms on the Allegheny County bench.

While dual-party nominee Roxanne Sakoian Eichler has write-in challengers Kash Snyder and Jeffrey Filia for North Versailles magisterial district judge, incumbents in Duquesne, White Oak, Glassport and North Huntingdon area districts are unopposed.

In municipal ranks, a contest for three White Oak council seats was complicated by a “Concerned Citizens” effort to unseat veteran incumbent Ronald R. Massung.

“Mr. Massung has continually voted against the building of the community center at (White Oak Athletic Association) as well as upgrade studies for the electric and roof repairs,” said a statement provided by businessman John Cardo, a coach and sponsor of WOAA activities.

Groundbreaking for that $660,000 center took place Friday. A $500,000 state Redevelopment Assistance grant was secured by Sen. James Brewster, D-McKeesport, but the borough had to match it.

“This matching grant ... has been held up and delayed ... for over 2½ years,” according to Cardo's statement.

Former council president Carrie Noll posted on Facebook that delays were due to dealings with multiple state officials and sometimes conflicting conditions.

Massung said the borough would be “much better off to give (WOAA) a couple hundred thousand dollars” to overhaul its existing buildings.

“All of council has always been supportive of WOAA,” said Noll, who resigned after moving out of state.

The “Concerned Citizens” back Republican Charles Davis and Democrats David Pasternak and Ryan Tutera.

Engineer Carl P. Laird and incumbents Davis and Massung make up the GOP ticket; attorney Tutera and facilities manager Richard Keller join incumbent Pasternak on the Democratic side; and retired steelworker Fred Haynes is running as an independent.

Candidates are unopposed for Clairton and Duquesne city councils; Dravosburg, Elizabeth, Homestead, Jefferson Hills, Liberty, Lincoln, Munhall, North Irwin, Pleasant Hills, Wall, West Elizabeth, West Homestead and Whitaker borough councils; Irwin, McKeesport, North Irwin, Wall and West Elizabeth mayor; Forward and South Versailles township boards; and Clairton City, Duquesne City, East Allegheny, Elizabeth Forward and Norwin school boards.

Staff writers Rich Cholodofsky and Eric Slagle contributed to this story. Patrick Cloonan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1967, or pcloonan@tribweb.com.

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