A handful of incumbents bounced at municipal level; county slates set
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Tuesday’s Primary election largely set up this November’s election slate — although in a handful of municipal races, incumbent supervisor candidates were knocked off their party’s ballot.
Turnout for the election was very light: just 10.45% of voters registered as Republican or Democrat turned out to the polls, according to figures released by Chester County Voter Services. Democratic turnout was particularly dismal, with just 9.79% of registered Democrats turning out, Tuesday.
In terms of the county-wide judicial and row-office races, both parties managed to hold serve and held off some aggressive write-in campaigns.
In the high-profile race for Court of Common Pleas, Republicans Jeff Sommer (34.51%) and Pat Carmody (42.99%) won the GOP nod, but Democrat Julia Malloy-Good garnered some 15.28% of the Republican vote. In the same race on the Democratic side, Democrats Malloy-Good (44.99%) and Tony Verwey (29.48%) won their party nomination, but Carmody posted strong numbers (17.24%) finishing third. In judicial and school board races, candidates can file for both party nominations.
The row office races were more cut and dried: Republicans Norm MacQueen (Controller), Ann Duke (Treasurer), Robin Marcello (Clerk of Courts) and Gordon Eck (Coroner) all got more than 99% of the vote in their primaries. Democrats Nina Haslip (Treasurer), Carmen Boyd (Controller), Tisha Brown (Clerk of Courts) and Howard Jones (Coroner) all got at least 98% of their respective party vote. The two slates will face off in November.
A hotly contested District Justice Race — in District 15-2-03 — will likely carry over to November as a race to watch. Incumbent William Kraut won the GOP nod, but was unable to hold off Chris Pielli for the Democratic nod, as both outdistanced third place finisher P.J. Redmond. Combining the two votes in the cross-filed race, Kraut got just 31 votes more than Pielli.
Elsewhere, there were only a handful of contested races, although a number of school board primaries will set up November election races.
In the Coatesville Area School District, Region 1 (Valley & Coatesville), Deborah Thompson won the Democratic nomination, holding off Robert Beckershoff, Crystal Lowery and Tom Audette. Beckershoff won the GOP primary, setting up November’s race between Thompson and Beckershoff.
In Region II (Caln, West Brandywine), Republican Stu Deets won easily, and Democrat Alain Foster coasted to a win, setting up their November match up.
In Region III (East Fallowfield, Sadsbury, Modena, West Caln and South Coatesville), incumbent Laurie Knecht and newcomer Kim Mammel won the Republican primary. There were no Democrats on the primary ballot, but there were enough write-in votes cast that it is possible a nominee (or two) may emerge.
In The Kennett Consolidated School District, Region A (Kennett Square) Republican incumbent Doug Stirling won easily in his primary, with no Democrat on the ballot. In Region B (New Garden), Kendra LaCosta held off incumbent Joe Meola for both the Democratic and Republican nominations, all but assuring her victory in November. In Region C (Kennett Township/East Marlborough), incumbent Heather Schaen won both party nominations as well.
In the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, there were no contested races. In Region A (East Marlborough/West Marlborough) incumbents Keith Knauss and Jeff Hellrung won both party nominations. In Region B (Pocopson, Newlin and Birmingham), newcomers Michael Rock and Steve Simonson both won in both party primaries without opposition for two open seats.
In municipal races, there were a handful of contested races.
In Coatesville, incumbent City Council members Joseph Hamrick and Ingrid Jones won nomination for the city’s two At-Large Council seats up in November, holding off incumbent Jarrell Brazzle, former Councilmember Patsy Ray, and newcomer Amber Little. Republican Eric Quick won one of the two nominations of his party, as the lone candidate on the ballot. 32 write-in votes were cast.
In the ward races, newcomer Marie Hess won the Democratic nomination for City Council member from the Second Ward, holding off incumbent councilmember Jones and former Councilmember Patsy Ray. Quick appears to have won the GOP nomination for this seat as well, although it is unclear whether he can seek both seats.
Current City Council President David Collins won renomination from the Democrats for his Fourth Ward seat, while no Republican candidate appeared on the ballot. There were 14 write-in votes for the GOP nomination.
In South Coatesville, John Long held off current councilman John Washington in a bid for the Democratic nomination to replace long-time Mayor James Kennedy. Washington lost by just five votes. With just 10 total write-in votes on the GOP side, it is unclear whether Long will face another opponent on the ballot in November. In Borough Council contests, current Council president Sylvia Washington (68 votes), newcomer Barbara Newsuan (64 votes), Gilbert Parker (50 votes) and incumbent John Washington (49 votes) all won renomination by the Democrats. Incumbent Republican councilmember Joe Frisco and newcomers Amy Olin and Craig Morris won GOP nods.
In Caln, incumbent Commissioner Joshua Young won the Democratic primary — and it is expected that a write-in effort will reveal at least one other nominee for three seats in November. On the GOP side is was less clear, newcomer Cynthia Eshleman (259 votes) won a spot on the ballot, but incumbent commissioners Vince Rose (89 votes) and Charles Kramer (74 votes) are in limbo, as some 246 write-in votes were cast. Until all of the write-in votes are tallied, it is unclear who will appear on the November ballot beyond Young and Eshleman.
In West Brandywine, Republican Doug Smith won the GOP nod for Township Supervisor, but it remains unclear who his Democratic challenger will be, as there was no candidate on the Democratic ballot, but some 158 write-in votes were cast.
In Valley Township, former supervisor Joe Sciandra (140 votes) defeated incumbent supervisor Yolanda Beattie (114 votes) for the Democratic nomination. With some 114 write-in ballots cast in GOP primary — but no candidate listed — it remains unclear whether Sciandra will face opposition on the November ballot.
In East Fallowfield, three Democrats battled for two spots on the Board of Supervisors, with Kevin Richardson (116 votes) and Cheryle Hanson (76 votes) edging Wesley Maughan (64 votes). Those two will face Republicans Charles Kilgore (223 votes) and Steven Herzog (186 votes) in November, seeking to replace Chris Makely and Chris Amentas who did not seek reelection.
In West Caln, incumbent supervisor Allen Martin held off Diane Eckenback for the Republican nomination and will face Democrat John Haines in November.
In Modena, the county’s smallest municipality, Republicans John McCorkle and Kenneth Lloyd were the lone candidates for Borough Council and each got six votes. Democrats had no listed candidates, but 12 write-in votes were listed. There are three open council seats in November. The Mayoral race garnered even less interest: neither party had a candidate file, and just three write-in votes were cast on the Democratic side and one vote was cast on the Republican side.
In Sadsbury, Republican Jesse Donovan won the Republican nomination for supervisor. While no Democrat appeared on the ballot, a total of 35 write-in votes were cast.
In Kennett Township, Republican Jim Przwitowski won 310 votes and the GOP nomination for supervisor, while Democrat Richard Leff garnered 385 votes to win his party’s nomination. The two will square off in November.
In Kennett Square, Republicans Danilo Maffei and Geoffrey Bosley won two of four nominations for Borough Council. Some 86 additional votes were cast. No Democrat appeared on the ballot, but 120 write-in votes were cast. Republican Matt Fetick won nomination for another term as mayor. No Democrat was on the ballot.
In New Garden, Republican Richard Ayotte won his party nomination for supervisor (with 46-write-in votes cast toward a second slot), while Democrats Richard Zimny and Mike Donovan won the GOP nod.
In one of the most hotly contested supervisor races in the county, East Marlborough township incumbent Richard Hicks lost the GOP nomination to John Sarro, who won along with incumbent Richard Hannum. Hicks did run an aggressive write-in race on the Democratic side — and there were 96 votes cast as write-ins — so it is possible November will feature a rematch.
In the only other midly contested race in the Unionville area, Republican Matt Read won the GOP nomination for Pocopson supervisor while Holly Manzone won the Democratic nod. The two will face off in November seeking to replace retiring supervisor Steve Conary.
