No Surprises at Clinton Primary Filing Deadline
LOCK HAVEN – The candidate filing deadline for Clinton County’s May municipal primary was 5 p.m. Tuesday and there was no final minute surge of candidates at the third floor office of county voter registrar Maria Boileau.
Petitions had to be filed by Tuesday and there was virtually nothing new to report from among those seeking county office come May 21. Many of those row officers will get a walk-over…no opposition in the primary or the general election.
For commissioner there are six candidates, four Republicans and two Democrats, all of whom announced earlier. On the GOP side they are incumbent commissioner Jeff Snyder, former commissioner Miles Kessinger and political newcomers Mitch Christensen and Michele Whitney. The two Democrats are incumbent commissioner Paul Conklin and another political newcomer, Angela Harding. Incumbent commissioner/board chairman Pete Smeltz elected not to seek a third term in office. Voters from each party will nominate two candidates for November, the top three finishers overall assuming office in January of 2020.
There is only one contested row office, and that won’t happen until November. The incumbent Prothonotary is Democrat Marie Vilello, seeking a third term. Her opponent will be another political newcomer in Republican Cindy Love, unopposed for the GOP nomination; Vilello is unopposed for her party’s nomination.
Row officers with no opposition in either party primary and therefore likely ticketed for re-election are District Attorney Dave Strouse (D), Sheriff Kerry Stover (D) and Register & Recorder Jennifer Hoy (R).
And only three candidates filed to run for the three county auditor slots on the ballot. They are incumbents Rita O’Brien (R) and Michelle Crowell (D) and newcomer Brooke Fravel (R). Incumbent Peggy Heller did not seek re-election.
Two Keystone Central School Board slots will be contested: In Region II Elisabeth Lynch cross-filed; she will be opposed in the Republican primary by Gregory Mayes and by Paul Washington on the Democratic ballot. The term is for two years. The winner will replace Jennifer Bottorf who resigned earlier this year.
There will also be a contest in Keystone’s Region IV, incumbent Debra Smith opposed by former school board member Jeff Johnston; both have cross-filed. There is one candidate in Region VI, Randy Strouse, a candidate on the Republican ballot.
Incumbent school board members Boise Miller (board president) and Wayne Koch have no opposition in their districts, Regions VIII and I respectively. Regions I, IV, VI and VII are all four year terms.
And former Clinton County Commissioner Joel Long, a Democrat, is in line to become Lock Haven’s next mayor. Currently a member of city council in the county seat, Long has no opposition for mayor from either party at this point. Current Mayor Bill Baney did not seek re-election.
For a complete list of those who filed by the Tuesday deadline, please use the links below.
