Election Day 2022 is finally here -- get out and vote
Nov. 7—WILKES-BARRE — And now back to our regular programing.
Yes, today is Election Day 2022 and other than knowing who will win each race, we will no longer be subjected to all those TV ads that have been monopolizing the airwaves for months.
In all seriousness, eligible voters are urged to go to the polls and cast your votes, assuming you already have not sent in your mail-in ballots.
To help you, here is a race by race look at the contests:
116th District: LUZERNE and SCHUYLKILL Counties; Part of LUZERNE County consisting of the CITY of Hazleton and the TOWNSHIP of Hazle and the BOROUGH of West Hazleton; and part of SCHUYLKILL County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of East Union, Kline, Mahanoy, North Union and Union and the BOROUGHS of Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Ringtown and Shenandoah.
Total population: 63,945
Candidates: Yesenia Rodriguez, D-Hazleton; Dane Watro Jr., R-Kilne Township.
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117th District: LUZERNE County; part of LUZERNE County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Black Creek, Butler, Conyngham, Dennison, Dorrance, Fairmount, Foster, Hollenback, Hunlock, Huntington, Lake, Lehman, Nescopeck, Ross, Salem, Slocum, Sugarloaf and Union and the BOROUGHS of Conyngham, Dallas, Freeland, Harveys Lake, Jeddo, Nescopeck, New Columbus, Nuangola, Penn Lake Park, Shickshinny and White Haven.
Total population: 61,755
Candidate: Michael Cabell, R-Butler Township, is unopposed in the 117th Legislative District.
(Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, decided not to run for re-election.)
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118th Legislative District
Name: James May
Party: Republican
Age: 52
Town of Residence: Ransom
Occupation: Real Estate Investor
Education: Bachelor's in Secondary Education, Clarks Summit University; Graduate Certificate in Middle Eastern Studies, Jerusalem University College; Master of Divinity, Baptist Bible Seminary; Post Graduate Studies, Berkely College of New York
Family: Wife, Jill; 3 children — James, Isaiah (and wife, Brianna), Hannah; one grandson, Theo.
—Name: Jim Haddock
Party: Democrat
Age: 59
Town of Residence: Pittston Township
Occupation: Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts Manager in Luzerne County
Education: Bucknell University-Pennsylvania Bankers Association Advanced School of Banking
Family: Single
—118th District: LACKAWANNA and LUZERNE Counties; part of LACKAWANNA County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Glenburn, La Plume, Newton, Ransom and West Abington and the BOROUGHS of Dalton, Moosic, Old Forge and Taylor and Part of LUZERNE County consisting of the CITY of Pittston and the TOWNSHIPS of Jenkins and Pittston and the BOROUGHS of Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Laflin, West Pittston and Yatesville.
Total population: 61,770
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119th Legislative District
Name: Alec Ryncavage
Party: Republican
Age: 21
Town of Residence: Plymouth
Occupation: Cybersecurity Software Engineer and Plymouth Borough Councilman
Education: Wyoming Valley West H.S. No higher education. Self-taught software engineer
Family: Single
—Name: Vito Malacari
Age: 36
Town of Residence: Hanover Township
Occupation: Teacher
Education: King's College '09 BA History and minor in Secondary Education; Wilkes University '13 MS in Education
Family: Lauren Klug, wife; twin children Grier and Roen, age 5.
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119th District: LUZERNE County, part of LUZERNE County consisting of the CITY of Nanticoke and the TOWNSHIPS of Fairview, Hanover, Newport, Plymouth, Rice and Wright and the BOROUGHS of Ashley, Edwardsville, Larksville, Plymouth, Sugar Notch and Warrior Run.
Total population: 61,334
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120th Legislative District
Name: Aaron Kaufer
Party: Republican (Incumbent)
Age: 34
Town of Residence: Kingston
Occupation: State Representative
Education: Lafayette College B.A. Government and Law; International Affairs
Widener University Commonwealth Law J.D.
Family: Wife Annie; Daughter Raya
—Name: Fern Leard
Party: Democrat
Age: 38
Town of Residence: Dallas Township
Occupation: Healthcare Lobbyist
Education: North Pocono High School Graduate, CPR certified & Nurse Aide Training Certification at Marywood University
Family: Twin boys, age 10; lifelong partner, Dan
—120th District: LUZERNE County, part of LUZERNE County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Dallas, Exeter, Franklin, Jackson and Kingston and the BOROUGHS of Courtdale, Exeter, Forty Fort, Kingston, Luzerne, Pringle, Swoyersville, West Wyoming and Wyoming.
Total population: 61,645
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121st Legislative District
Name: Eddie Day Pashinski
Party: Democrat (Incumbent)
Age: 77
Town of Residence: Wilkes-Barre
Occupation: State Representative
Education: Wilkes University, Bachelor of Arts, Music Education
Family: Father of four children with his late wife, Millie; grandfather to seven, who are his pride and joy.
—Name: Eryn Harvey
Party: Republican
Age: 28
Town of Residence: Wilkes-Barre City
Occupation: Former aide to Senator John Yudichak, former Deputy Director of Elections, Luzerne County
Education: 2012 Graduate of Coughlin High School; 2016 Graduate of King's College with a degree in Mass Communications and Marketing.
Family: Mom Debbie Harvey, Dad William Harvey. Sister Jessica Harvey
—121st District: LUZERNE County, part of LUZERNE County consisting of the CITY of Wilkes-Barre and the TOWNSHIPS of Bear Creek, Buck,Plains and Wilkes-Barre and the BOROUGHS of Bear Creek Village and Laurel Run.
Total population: 61,466
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20th Senatorial District
Name: Lisa Baker
Party: Republican (Incumbent)
Age: 61
Town of Residence: Lehman
Occupation: Senator in the General Assembly
Education: BA, Government Administration, Shippensburg University
Job: 35 years of public service working to make government more accountable and eliminating unnecessary barriers to deliver positive results for individuals, organizations, and communities.
Family: Husband, Gary; Son, Carson; Daughter-In-Law Katie; Grandchildren, Bryce and Blair
—Name: Jackie Baker
Party: Democrat
Age: 50
Town of Residence: Hallstead
Occupation: Former teacher, stay-at-home mom.
Education: Elk Lake High School, Dimock; Mansfield University, Bachelor's Degree, Education; Wilkes University, Master's Degree, Education
Family: Married, 3 children
—20th District: Part of LUZERNE County consisting of the CITY of Nanticoke and the TOWNSHIPS of Dallas, Exeter, Fairmount, Franklin, Hanover, Hunlock, Jackson, Kingston, Lake, Lehman, Newport, Plymouth, Ross and Union and the BOROUGHS of Ashley, Courtdale, Dallas, Edwardsville, Exeter, Forty Fort, Harveys Lake, Kingston, Larksville, Luzerne, Plymouth, Pringle, Sugar Notch, Swoyersville, Warrior Run and West Wyoming; All of PIKE County; All of SUSQUEHANNA County; part of WAYNE County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Berlin, Buckingham, Clinton, Damascus, Dyberry, Lebanon, Manchester, Mount Pleasant, Oregon, Palmyra, Paupack, Preston and Scott and the BOROUGHS of Bethany, Hawley and Starrucca and All of WYOMING County.
Total population: 269,942
—22nd Senatorial District
Name: Marty Flynn
Party: Democrat (Incumbent)
Age: 47
Town of Residence: Dunmore
Occupation: State Senator
Education: B.A. Marywood University
Family: Fiancé Kate Kochanski; daughter Aria Flynn
—Name: Tom Bassett
Party: Republican
Age: 31
Town of Residence: Pittston
Occupation: Band/Music Teacher since 2016
Education: WBASD K-6, Lake-Lehman '09, Bachelor of Music Education, Clarks Summit University 2015, Master of Music Education, Kutztown University 2019, ESL Specialist Certificate, Kutztown University 2021, Biblical Counseling Certificate, ACBC 2021, Doctor of Music Education, Liberty University, in progress.
Family: Single; siblings Richard, Charelle, Danielle.
—22nd District: LACKAWANNA and LUZERNE Counties. part of LACKAWANNA County consisting of the CITY of Scranton and the TOWNSHIPS of Benton, Glenburn, Greenfield, La Plume, Newton, North Abington, Ransom, Scott, South Abington, Waverly and West Abington and the BOROUGHS of Clarks Green, Clarks Summit, Dalton, Dickson City, Dunmore, Moosic, Old Forge, Taylor and Throop and Part of LUZERNE County consisting of the CITIES of Pittston and Wilkes-Barre and the TOWNSHIPS of Jenkins, Pittston, Plains and Wilkes-Barre and the BOROUGHS of Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Laflin, Laurel Run, West Pittston, Wyoming and Yatesville.
Total population: 251,084
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8th Congressional District
Name: Matt Cartwright
Party: Democrat (Incumbent)
Age: 61
Town of Residence: Moosic
Occupation: Attorney
Education: Hamilton College (BA), University of Pennsylvania (JD)
Family: Marion Munley (wife), Jack (son), Matthew (son)
—Name: Jim Bognet
Party: Republican
Age: 47
Town of Residence: Hazle Township
Occupation: Small business owner
Education: B.S. in Finance from Penn State, J.D. and M.B.A. from UCLA
Family: Parents James and Patrice, brother, sister, and many cousins
—Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District includes Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties and portions of Luzerne and Monroe Counties.
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9th Congressional District
Name: Dan Meuser (Incumbent)
Party: Republican
Age: 58
Town of Residence: Dallas
Occupation: U.S. Congressman since 2019, former Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue, 20-plus years with Pride Mobility Products, Board of Governors, Pennsylvania's System of Higher Education.
Education: New York Maritime University; Cornell University
Family: Wife, Shelley, three children, Caroline, Jacqueline, and Daniel
—Name: Amanda Waldman
Party: Democrat
Age: 47
Town of Residence: Mill Creek Township
Occupation: Financial Representative
Education: Bachelors of Arts in English from Bloomsburg University
Family: 2 sons
—The 9th Congressional District encompasses all of Carbon County, Columbia County, Lebanon County, Montour County, and Schuylkill County, as well as parts of Berks County, Luzerne County, and Northumberland County.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.