The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

September 18, 2009

UPDATE: Party nominations fill ballot openings

By Matt Snyder

MERCER COUNTY — Voters in Jackson Center are going to have a difficult job in November. Every major municipal seat – all three counsel positions and mayor – are up for grabs. And no one’s on the ballot.

The little borough near the heart of Mercer County lost its mayor this summer because a councilman resigned. Mayor Jon L. Ramsay had to take his job so they could have enough members to hold meetings, and thus vacated his old role.

Jackson Center reduced their overall council size from five to three in July because of the shortage of candidates. Because of resignations, all three of the remaining jobs went on the ballot, and no one seemed to want them in the primary.

The deadline for the major political parties to put up a candidate to fill ballot slots left empty by death or resignation passed earlier this week, said county elections chief Jeff Greenburg. News of the mayor’s empty slot came only late last week, and they were left with just two days to find a replacement. Neither party did.

Whereas Jackson Center’s ballot is empty, the parties did find candidates to fill other ballot gaps, and some created brand new races for November.

In Farrell, Republicans and Democrats both appointed a candidate to fill in the spot left empty by the death of school board member Sadie R. Benham.

Isaac Fields was appointed by the Democrats and Allen D. Harrison by the Republicans, said Greenburg.

The addition of Harrison is noteworthy because Republicans typically have a difficult time getting traction in Farrell, where Democrats dominate the political scene. Harrison did not return a call made for comment Thursday evening, and a phone number obtained for Fields appeared to be disconnected.

The only other race made competitive by parties filling empty ballot slots was in Delaware Township, where Democrat Kenneth Miller will face Republican William E. Anthony for a two-year post as supervisor.

Nominations

The deadline for political parties to nominate candidates to replace those who have gotten out of races through withdrawl, resignation or death was Tuesday.

The following nominations for races in Mercer County in the November election have been made:

• Farrell School Board: Democrat Isaac Fields and Republican Allen D. Harrison for a two-year seat left vacant by the death of Sadie R. Benham.

• Delaware Township: Democrat Kenneth Miller and Republican William E. Anthony for a two-year supervisor seat.

• Springfield Township: Republican Gary L. Hartman will replace Lawrence T. Gruntz, who withdrew from the race for supervisor.

• West Middlesex: Republican Barbara L. Sochor for a two-year council seat left vacant by Mabel Selby’s resignation.

• Wolf Creek Township: Republican Robert C. Crothers for a vacant supervisor seat.

• Worth Township: Republican Robert D. Minor for a vacant supervisor seat.

Besides those vacancies, there was another left by Wendy Davis-Gill’s withdrawal, who won a primary race to be on the fall ballot for Hermitage School Board. It was not filled.

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