Here are the candidates on the ballot in Erie County for May's primary
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Editor's note: An earlier version of this story mistakenly listed the location of North Coast Flight School, which is based in Meadville.
A contested primary for Democrats in one race for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and a crowded GOP field in another highlight the local races on the May 17 municipal primary ballot.
In addition to marquee races for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House, among others, the ballot will include races for the five state House seats that will now represent Erie County in Harrisburg.
The key matchup will be for the 4th Legislative District, where incumbent Republican Curt Sonney, 64, who serves as chairman on the powerful House Education Committee, will retire after nine terms. Five Republicans and one Democrat have lined up in hopes of succeeding him.
Barring a challenge to a candidate's petitions, Corry resident Chelsea Oliver, 32, a former member of City Council who also served as the city’s parks and public properties director from August 2020 until December 2021, will move on to the general election to face one of the following Republicans:
Jake Banta, 56, a Waterford resident best known for leading the band Jake's Blues.
Joseph Cancilla, 32, a North East resident and school board member. Cancilla, a former business owner with several years of experience in retail, previously sought the GOP nomination for the 5th District Erie County Council seat.
Greg Hayes, 60, the owner of North Coast Air Flight School, which operates at the Port Meadville Airport in Meadville. Hayes ran against Bizzarro two years ago, but newly drawn districts now place the Edinboro resident's home in the 4th District.
Jennifer Lesher, 56, a Waterford resident and small business owner whose online wedding accessory business and a bricks-and-mortar business owned by her husband, suffered by mandated shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jason Monn, 42, Corry resident and owner of the restaurant Fat Monn's Grub. Monn originally planned to run for governor, but exited that race when Sonney announced his retirement.
More: Reapportionment Commission's maps bring change to Erie County state House, Senate districts
In late February, Scott Rastetter, a former one-term Erie County councilman and small business owner, had announced plans to seek the GOP nomination. However, Rastetter's name did not appear under a listing of Republicans candidates who had filed petitions with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State's Office as of the 5 p.m. deadline. Rastetter could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.
The 4th Legislative District, under the new map of the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission, includes the city of Corry; the boroughs of Edinboro, Elgin, Girard, Lake City, McKean, Mill Village, North East, Platea, Union City, Waterford, and Wattsburg; and the townships of Amity, Concord, Franklin, Girard, Greenfield, LeBoeuf, McKean, North East, Union, Venango, Washington, Waterford and Wayne.
The other contested primary will determine who serves the residents in the 1st Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Because no Republican entered the race, the May 17 primary will likely send incumbent Pat Harkins back to Harrisburg for a ninth two-year term or fellow Democrat Andre Horton, a member of Erie County Council since 2013. Horton was re-elected to his third term last year. In 2020, he unsuccessfully sought his party's nomination in the 49th Senate District.
The district includes Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 in the city of Erie, and Lawrence Park Township.
Three of the contests won't take shape until the general election in November, as only one candidate filed to run against the incumbent officeholder:
Republican Paul Pitonyak, a Wesleyville Borough Council member, will face Democratic incumbent state Rep. Bob Merski in the newly drawn 2nd Legislative District. Merski is seeking his third term. The district is now made up of the city of Erie's 5th Ward; the borough of Wesleyville; and the townships of Greene, Harborcreek, and Summit.
Former Millcreek Township Supervisor Joe Kujawa, also a Republican, will challenge state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro in the new 3rd Legislative District. Bizzarro is running for a sixth term. Millcreek and Fairview townships are now the only municipalities in the 3rd District.
Democrat Nerissa B. Galt, a quality engineer for Bliley Technologies who resides in Hayfield Township, Crawford County, will take on state Rep. Brad Roae in the 6th Legislative District. Roae, of East Mead Township, Crawford County, is seeking a ninth, two-year term. In Erie County, the boroughs of Albion and Cranesville and the townships of Elk Creek and Springfield are part of the new 6th District, which also includes portions of Crawford County.
More: Census: Erie’s Congressional District to expand under redistricting
Candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and House had earlier filing deadlines to get onto the ballot. Those candidates filed on or before the March 15 deadline. Because the new maps for the General Assembly faced legal challenges, the period in which candidates could start circulating petitions and the deadline to file them was delayed, with the start being moved to March 18 and the deadline changing to 5 p.m. Monday.
There is a one-week period in which voters and fellow candidates can file challenges to another candidate's petitions.
Contact Matthew Rink at mrink@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNrink.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie state House candidates file petitions before ballot deadline
