By Matt Snyder
MERCER COUNTY — New winners in the Nov. 3 municipal election have been announced now that the write-in votes have been tallied, said county elections chief Jeff Greenburg.
A contentious write-in school board race in Sharpsville ended with Janice L. Raykie winning with 356 votes and Beverly Scurpa finishing with 243 votes, Greenburg said.
Mrs. Scurpa was originally on the ballot after the May primary, but Mrs. Raykie challenged her candidacy in Mercer County courts on the basis that Mrs. Scurpa served during the primary as a judge of elections in one of the precincts.
Mrs. Scurpa said she had cleared her candidacy with Greenburg, who didn’t see a problem at the time. But a later ruling by the courts removed her name from the November ballot, making it a write-in race.
Jackson Center faced the interesting challenge this Election Day of having no one on its ballot, with every major borough position up for grabs.
Jackson Center borough had shrunk its council size from five to three seats in July. However, resignations left them light on civic leaders. To maintain a quorum, Mayor Jon L. Ramsay had to be appointed to a councilman’s job and give up the mayoral seat.
With write-in results in, it looks like Joseph Ferlin won the mayoral seat, Ramsay a 4-year council post, and Charles Moon and Mary Kerr each a 2-year council seat, Greenburg said.
Also of note, Tom Stanton upset Nov. 3’s results when he won 50 write-in votes and grabbed a four-year seat on Wheatland council, beating one of the ballot candidates, Edward Buczo, who had only 47 votes, Greenburg said.
Other write-in winners announced by Greenburg on Tuesday included:
• Ronald Johnson and Sheri Valimont, each winning four-year seats on Fredonia council.
• Doris Shreffler, mayor, and Larry D. Shreffler, a two-year council seat, in New Lebanon.
• Steven Vansickle, mayor, and Robert Snyder, a 4-year council seat, in Sheakleyville.
A complete list of write-in winners and ties will be posted on the county’s Web site shortly, Greenburg said. Go to www.mcc.co.mercer.pa .us and click the “Voter Registration/Election” link to have a look.
