Candidates Set for Primary Election

LOCK HAVEN — The field is set for Clinton County’s May primary election and there were no major surprises at 5 p.m. Tuesday, the deadline for candidates to file their nominating petitions.

Incumbent Republican county commissioners Pete Smeltz and Jeff Snyder will get a primary walkover as no one else filed petitions to run against them; Democratic incumbent Joel Long will be part of a four-way primary for that party’s two nominations. Others filing were Paul Conklin, Richard Morris and Vince Tarantella.

There will be a Democratic faceoff in the race for district attorney, the opponents Paul Ryan and Dave Strouse. The winner will oppose unopposed Republican candidate Fred Lingle in November.

Incumbent Democratic prothonotary Marie Vilello has no primary opponent and no Republican filed to run for the seat. Sitting county register and recorder Jennifer Hoy, a Republican, has no primary opposition and Jason Walker is the lone Democratic candidate for the post.

Republican Ed Higgins and Democrat Kerry Stover are the lone candidates seeking their respective party nominations to replace retiring sheriff Chuck Ankney.

A third candidate entered the race for Lock Haven mayor. Democratic council member Bill Baney, although not formally announcing, filed nominating petitions and will oppose fellow council member Steve Stevenson in the Democratic primary, while Republican council member Rick Conklin is unopposed for his party’s nomination for mayor.

There will be two contested Keystone Central School Board races: Region Eight will see a three-way race among incumbent board president Jack Peters, retired Mill Hall elementary school principal Jeff Johnston and Bo Miller. In Region Three incumbent Greg Strouse will face a Republican primary challenge from Lynn Bechdel; Strouse and the others cross-filed, while Bechdel is seeking only the GOP nomination.

Other board incumbents, Wayne Koch, Debra Smith and Charles Rosamilia, have no ballot opponents.