Long re-elected Lock Haven Mayor; Wright takes Mill Hall District Justice post; Mills wins again for Renovo area DJ
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Much of Tuesday’s Clinton County municipal election served only to confirm the winners for multiple county posts where there were limited candidates. But there will be a new district judge in the Mill Hall area and Lock Haven Mayor Joel Long handily won re-election to another term.
The unofficial vote canvass Tuesday night showed Republican Jim Russo win his first try at county commissioner, finishing with 5,244 votes. Fellow Republican/incumbent commissioner Jeff Snyder was second with 4,797 and Democratic incumbent Angela Harding, the county’s first female commissioner, finished with 3,508 in what is now a heavily Republican county. As there were just the three on the ballot, all three will be sworn into their new terms in early January.
The results were similar in the contest for three county auditor positions, with just three candidates on the ballot. Top vote-getters were two Republican newcomers in Cathy Gedon with 5,103 and Jacqui Anastos with 4,409; Democratic incumbent Michelle Crowell was third with 3,097 votes.
Two District Judge positions were contested. For the Mill Hall area, Republican nominee Heidi Wright polled 2,100 votes to Democratic nominee Kristin Smith with 865. Renovo area DJ Frank Mills withstood a challenge from independent Eric Williamson, winning by a 452 to 348 margin. Incumbent Lock Haven area District Judge Keith Kibbler was unopposed.
Lock Haven Mayor Joel Long, a Democrat, withstood a challenge from independent and current city council member Barbara Masorti, the margin 665 to 462. Lock Haven voters elected two new city council members in Democrats Heather Alexander with 594 votes and Tami Brannan with 499. The third council slot in a five-way race went to incumbent council member/Republican Jeff Brinker who finished second with 566. Trailing, according to the unofficial count, were incumbent Republican Doug Byerly with 486 and Democrat Alexander DiCostanzo with 467.
Incumbent county row officers winning re-election without opposition were District Attorney Dave Strouse, Sheriff Kerry Stover, Prothonotary Cindy Love and Register & Record Jennifer Hoy. Common Pleas Judge Michael Salisbury easily won a retention vote for another 10-year term on the bench.
There were multiple contested races for township supervisor. Results included in Castanea Township, John Gradel (R), 163, Terry Neff (D), 154; Pine Creek Township, Dave Winkleman Jr (R), 532, Dennis Greenaway (D), 290; Porter Township (4-year term), Keith Yearick (D), 206, James Randall (R), 134; Woodward Township, Eric Jacobs (R), 370, Mike Fetzer (D), 363; and Bald Eagle Township, Shaun Adrian (R), 319, Richard Fitzgerald (D), 138.
While cumulative totals were not immediately available on the county election website, it appears that two incumbent Keystone Central school board members were defeated: board president David Dietrich losing to William Baldino and incumbent Rick Schulze losing to Tom Cannon. The unofficial results showed that Chris Scaff of Loganton won the Sugar Valley area seat over Mary Ann Clark; Wayne Koch the incumbent there, did not seek re-election.
The countywide voter turnout was 40 percent
