Election Day: Lots of races, lots of choices

Keith Gushard, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·4 min read

May 18—When voters go to the polls today, they will have lots of choices to make — from nominees for government offices and area school boards to a Crawford County Court of Common Pleas judge plus, depending on where they live, a magisterial district judge nominee.

In addition, voters will be asked to pick nominees for statewide judicial courts and vote on three separate ballot questions regarding proposed amendments to Pennsylvania's Constitution and one ballot question whether Pennsylvania should permit paid fire companies and ambulance companies to be eligible to apply for loans from a state loan program.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., but how big will the turnout be?

Valerie Kean Staab, chair of the Crawford County Democratic Committee, and Jody Leech, chair of the Crawford County Republican Party, differ on the potential turnout as it is an off-year election.

"I think it will be low, extremely low," Kean Staab said, adding there may be pockets of higher turnout.

"In Meadville, you have a race for Meadville City Council and mayor (on the Democratic ballot)," she said. "I'm not sure if judges for statewide courts brings excitement to the average voter. It's a big difference from November" 2020, which was a presidential election.

Kean Staab said she hasn't seen much campaigning by the candidates in the primary.

Leech said she's hoping for a turnout as high as 40 percent as the ballots are mainly for local government offices.

"They're very important," she said. "A lot of people just turn out for the presidential election, but the diehard voters will turn out (today). I just hope people go out and vote."

Voters will be choosing nominees for borough council or township supervisor as well as their municipal tax collector and precinct election officials.

In Meadville, there is a race for mayor on the Democratic ballot with Jaime Kinder challenging incumbent H. LeRoy Stearns for the party's nomination.

There also is a Meadville City Council race on the Democratic ballot with four candidates — Sean Donahue, Andrew Herbstritt, Gretchen Myers and Jack Harkless — vying for two nominations. Donahue is the only incumbent.

In countywide races, there is a race on the Republican ballot for clerk of courts as Roan Hunter is challenging incumbent Patricia Wetherbee for the nomination.

Christine Krzysiak, county treasurer, is unopposed on the Republican ballot for renomination and there is no Democrat on that party's ballot.

Francis J. Schultz is the lone candidate for both Republican and Democratic nominations for an open seat on the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas. Schultz, a Republican and the county's elected district attorney, cross-filed for the nomination of both parties.

Three minor judiciary positions are on the ballot as well. Each of the candidates has cross-filed for the Democratic and Republican nominations and each is unopposed.

Amy Nicols of the Titusville area is seeking renomination for the magisterial district judgeship she holds in eastern Crawford County while Samuel Pendolino of the Meadville area is seeking renomination of the magisterial district judgeship he holds in Meadville and West Mead Township.

Adam Stallard of the Linesville area is seeking nomination for the magisterial district judge post in western Crawford County.

In school board races, Crawford Central School District has five candidates trying for one of four nominations. Jan Feleppa, Holly Chatman, Elyse Palmer, Benjamin Bargar and Ryan Pickering all have cross-filed for the Democratic and Republican nominations with Feleppa the lone incumbent.

PENNCREST School District has six candidates seeking four nominations. Theresa Jean Croll, Ronald Charles Kope, Robert H. Johnston Jr., Robert Gulick, Mathew A. Vogt and Brian Lynch all cross-filed for the Democratic and Republican nominations. Johnston, Gulick and Lynch are incumbents.

In the Conneaut School District there are races in two of the district's three regions. In Conneaut Region 1, Ashlee N. Luke and Ryan Klink have cross-filed for both the Democratic and Republican nominations for the lone seat up for election while Lyle David Schaef is only seeking the Republican nomination.

In Conneaut Region 2 there are two nominations up for election with Chole A. Loose, Dorothy Luckock and Nicole Mead all cross-filed for both the Democratic and Republican nominations while John Burnham only is seeking the Republican nomination. Luckock and Burnham are incumbents.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.