Contested McKean district court seat highlights Erie County minor judiciary races

Tim Hahn, Erie Times-News
·4 min read
An autopsy was scheduled in Erie County on Friday for a 2-year-old Oil City boy who was found dead in a canvas bag hidden under a table inside an Oil City residence on Wednesday. Oil City police have charged the 24-year-old boyfriend of the boy's mother with killing the child on Monday.

A longtime magisterial district judge serving the Edinboro-McKean area is facing another challenge in her bid for a fifth six-year term in office.

Denise Stuck-Lewis, 59, who has served as McKean district judge since she was appointed in 1997 to fill out the unexpired term of her father, Ronald Stuck, is being challenged in the Nov. 7 General Election by Tracy Gast, 65, a retired U.S. Secret Service agent.

Gast is running for the office, which pays $106,254 annually, as an Independent. Stuck-Lewis won the Democratic and Republican nominations for the seat in the May primary by defeating Cheryl Comstock, a communications supervisor for the Millcreek Township Police Department.

The district court is based in McKean and covers Edinboro and McKean boroughs and Fairview, Franklin, McKean and Washington townships.

Gast said he is running for the seat because he believes there needs to be a change in the office. He said the position should not be a family business, noting the years Stuck-Lewis's father served in the position before his daughter was appointed. Ronald Stuck served as district judge for 25 years before retiring and continued to work as a senior district judge for a time.

Gast, an Edinboro University of Pennsylvania graduate and former Wickliffe, Ohio, police officer, retired from the Secret Service in 2014 as special agent in charge of the Buffalo district. He later served as vice president for security and facilities at Erie Community College in Buffalo, and continues as a licensed private investigator working in New York and Pennsylvania.

Gast said he is running as an independent because he believes the judiciary should be an independent voice for an apolitical seat. If elected, he said one of the things he will look into is possibly setting up a satellite office in the district to make it more convenient for residents.

Stuck-Lewis said before the May primary that she was running for reelection because helping people in her community has been her life's work. She said she prides herself on overseeing a court built on fairness and integrity and has strived to make the experience of everyone who enters her courtroom a positive experience.

Stuck-Lewis said she has always been grateful to do the work day in and day out, and she looks forward to continuing that service to the community.

More uncontested races: Four contested races highlight election that will fill 10 Erie County district judge seats

Other minor judiciary races uncontested

Nine other seats on Erie County's minor judiciary are up for election in November. Each features a candidate running unopposed.

  • Lawyer Alison Scarpitti is running for district judge in a court that covers Erie's 3rd Ward and a portion of the 4th Ward. Current District Judge Tom Carney is not seeking reelection.

  • District Judge Timothy Beveridge is seeking a second term in Erie's 6th Ward.

  • Millcreek Township District Judge Laurie Mikielski is seeking a second term in a district that covers much of the township.

  • Corry District Judge Denise Buell is seeking a second term in a district that covers Corry, Elgin and Union City boroughs and Amity, Concord, Union and Wayne townships.

  • Lawrence Park Township District Judge Lisa Ferrick is seeking a second term in a district that covers Wesleyville borough and Harborcreek and Lawrence Park townships.

  • North East District Judge Scott Hammer is seeking a third term in a district that covers North East borough and township and Greenfield Township.

  • Greene Township District Judge Susan Strohmeyer is seeking a fifth term in a district that covers Wattsburg borough, Greene and Venango townships, and a portion of Millcreek Township.

  • Summit Township District Judge Brian McGowan is seeking a third term in a district that covers Mill Village and Waterford boroughs and LeBoeuf, Summit and Waterford townships.

  • Springfield Township District Judge Jeff Gadley, appointed earlier this year to fill the unexpired term of retired District Judge Chris MacKendrick, is seeking his first full term in a district that covers Albion, Cranesville, Girard, Lake City and Platea boroughs and Conneaut, Elk Creek, Girard and Springfield townships.

Primary votes: Erie County primary 2023 vote totals

Election 2023: Erie County voters' guide to the races, candidates and issues in the 2023 general election

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Contested McKean court seat heads Erie County minor judiciary races