Nearly 300 File Candidate Petitions in Centre County

In less than two months, county voters will once again be heading to the polls for the 2017 primary election, and although this year’s version will not bring the attention the Trump-Clinton race garnered in 2016, there are still plenty of notable local races.

Most notable will be the race for top prosecutor in the county. Local attorney Bernie Cantorna has thrown his hat in the ring as a Democrat to battle Democratic incumbent Stacy Parks Miller in the Tuesday, May 16, primary election.

The volley of jabs between candidates began shortly after Cantorna announced his candidacy in November. The two attorneys have battled in the courtroom on several occasions, and Cantorna had previously filed documents against Parks Miller, questioning her ethical practices in Centre County.

State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham shocked many in the community when she announced she would not seek re-election to the position she has cherished for two terms. Almost immediately, announcements for candidacy for the position began springing up. Four candidates will appear on the May ballot for the position: Janet Engeman, Don M. Hahn, Michael Black and Catherine Dauler, all Democrats.

In addition to voting for mayor, State College Borough residents will see a field of eight candidates seeking three open seats on the council. Candidates include incumbents Theresa Lafer and Evan Myers, both Democrats, as well as fellow Democrats Rylie E. Cooper, Steve Mower, Dan Murphy and Marina Cotarelo. Two Republicans — Lynn B. Herman and Richard Fitzgerald — will also appear on the ballot.

Seven candidates will appear on the ballot for the vacant district magistrate position at District Court 49-02-01, located on West College Avenue, State College. The district serves College Township voting districts North and West and Ferguson, Halfmoon and Patton townships. Candidates, all cross-filed as Republicans and Democrats, include Casey McClain, Dave White, Louis R. Lombardi, Robert H. Bascom Jr., Robert W. Stewart, Kristin Scipione and Justin G. Bish.

Ballot hopefuls were required to produce a petitions with a pre-determined number of sponsoring signatures to the Centre County Board of Elections office in Bellefonte by 5 p.m. March 7.

Joyce McKinley, director of elections in Centre County, told the Gazette nearly 300 individuals filed signed petitions in her office prior to the deadline. She said she did not find it unusual that so many petitions were filed.

“There are normally a lot of positions open during the municipal elections, and that’s the same case this year,” she said. “Unfortunately, although there are a lot of candidates, there are still a lot of positions in local government that do not have any candidates.”

COUNTYWIDE OFFICES

District attorney
Stacy Parks Miller (D), Bernie Cantorna (D)

Jury commissioner
William T. Willie Miller (D), Hope P. Miller (R)

District Court 49-02-01
Casey McClain (D/R), Dave White (D/R), Louis R. Lombardi (D/R), Robert H. Bascom Jr. (D/R), Robert W. Stewart (D/R), Kristin Scipione (D/R), Justin G. Bish (D/R)

District Court 49-03-03
Allen W. Sincliar (D/R)

BOROUGHS

Bellefonte
Mayor: Thomas J. Wilson (R)
Council, 1st Ward: Joe E. Eaton (D), Melissa Hombosky (D)
Council, 2nd Ward: Taylor Lake (D), Randall Brachbill (R), Evan Duffey (R)
Council, 3rd Ward: Anne Walker (D), R. Michael Prendergast (D), Ted H. Conklin (R), Michael Andriaccio (R)
Tax collector: Debra Burger (R)

Centre Hall
Mayor: Ray Hankinson (R)
Council: Kathryn W. Long (D), Bill Guisewhite (R)
Tax collector: Michele Whiteman (R)

Howard
Mayor: Robert L. Yearick (R)
Council: Dorothy A. Snoberger (D), Irvin R. Hoy (R), Orie Butch D. Hanley Jr. (R), Jeffrey Snyder (R), Philip T. Winchell (R)
Tax collector: Connie Davis (R)
Auditor: Betsy Snyder (R)

Milesburg
Mayor: Brandon Schadle (D), Ethel Kellerman (R)
Council: Sandra C. Dieterle (R), Frederick T. Kellerman (R), Plummer W. Davidson (R), Peter J. DeLosa (R)
Tax collector: George W. Newman (D)

Millheim
Mayor: Lauralee A. Snyder (D)
Council: Edward Bowman (D), Patty Beckenbaugh (D)
Tax collector: Kathy S. Highbaugh (D)

Philipsburg
Mayor: John M. Streno (R)
Council: Barbara A. Gette (D), Charles I. Moore (R)
Tax collector: Julie Jo Johnston (R)

Port Matilda
Council: John D. Fogleman (D)
Tax collector: Kelly Fogleman (D)

State College
Mayor: Janet Engeman (D), Don M. Hahn (D), Michael Black (D), Catherine Dauler (D)
Council: Theresa Lafer (D), Evan Myers (D), Steve Mower (D), Rylie E. Cooper (D), Dan Murphy (D), Marina Cotarelo (D), Lynn B. Herman (R), Richard Fitzgerald (R)

Unionville
Council: Allen Runkle (D), Robert W. Fisher (R)

TOWNSHIPS

Benner
Supervisor: David Wise (R)
Tax collector: Janet Houser (D), Renee Swancer (R), Diana L. LaRoche (R)

Boggs
Tax collector: Sharon A. Yangula (R)
Auditor: Doris F. Bennett (R), Margaret Fisher (R)

Burnside
Supervisor: Brett Umbenhouer (D), Donald J. Lucas (R)

College
Council: L. Eric Bernier (D), Anthony Fragola (R)

Curtin
Supervisor: Rick W. Miller (D)
Tax collector: Heather Burfield (R)

Ferguson
Supervisor: Andy McKinnon (D), Steve Miller (D), Tony Tom Ricciardi (D), Janet Whitaker (R)
Supervisor, 3rd Ward: Sara Carlson (D), Mike Radis (D)

Gregg
Supervisor: Keri Miller (R), Michael R. Lesniak (R)
Tax collector: Donna J. Miller (R)

Haines
Supervisor: Delmer Homan (R), Fred Lingle (R)
Tax collector: Candace A. Ream (D)

Halfmoon
Supervisor: Bob Strouse (D)
Tax collector: Brett G. Laird (R)

Harris
Supervisor: Richard Frank (D), Nigel D. Wilson (D), Charles Bud Graham (R), Matthew Auman (R)

Howard
Supervisor: Tyler J. Penland (R)
Tax collector: Sheila Yoder (R)

Huston
Supervisor: James M. Cowan (R)

Liberty
Supervisor: Guy Poorman (D)
Tax collector: Joyce Beaty (R)

Marion
Supervisor: Herbert Chapman (R), Tanner Day (R)
Tax collector: R. Brian McCauley (R)
Auditor: Ken Roan (R)

Miles
Supervisor: Eric F. Miller (R)
Tax collector: Barry C. Bennett (R)

Patton
Supervisor: Betsy Whitman (D), Dan Trevino (D), William J. Burnett (D), Jessica Buckland (D), Mark Parfitt (R)

Penn
Supervisor: David S. Braucht (R), Leroy Young (R)
Tax collector: Lisa A. Auman (R)
Auditor: Penny A. Royer (R), Donna Martin (R)

Potter
Supervisor: Melvin K. Dutrow (D), Dennis W. Foust (R)
Tax collector: Wendy Nolf (R)

Rush
Supervisor: David Jackson (D), John Shannon (R)
Tax collector: Matthew Foster (R)

Snow Shoe
Supervisor: Rodney Preslovich (D)
Tax collector: Tara L. Guenot (D)
Auditor: Alexander Murnyack (D)
Constable: Ritchie A. Brown (R)

Spring
Supervisor: Terry Perryman (D)
Tax collector: Shelie D. Rice (R), Alice Hinton (R), Nancy Fetters (R), Liza M. Royer (R)
Auditor: Jeff Steiner (D)

Union
Supervisor: Brian D. Stauffer (R)
Tax collector: Linda L. Flick (R)
Auditor: Laura B. Reese (D)

Walker
Supervisor: Deb Zimmerman (D)
Tax collector: Kathy M. Fye (R), Judith Deitrich (R), Cheryl Vonada (R)

Worth 
Supervisor: J. David Jones (D)
Tax collector: Lora Barndt (D), Chad J. Smith (R)

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Bald Eagle Area
Director, Region 1: Timothy E. Nilson (D/R), Mary Ann Hamilton (R)
Director, Region 2: Timothy H. Linden (D), Molly Pomeroy-Hoover (R), Mark S. Kresovich (R)
Director, Region 3: Tina L. C. Greene (D/R)

Bellefonte
Director: Kristen Bruckner (D/R), Rodney E. Musser (D/R), Jon Guizar (D/R)

Penns Valley
Director, Region 1: Holly Hawkins (D/R), Chris Houser (D/R), Henry Yeagley (D/R)
Director, Region 2: Darren A. Narber (D/R)
Director, Region 3: Victoria L. Brennan (D)

Philipsburg-Osceola 
Director, District 3: Nancy J. Lamb (D)
Director, District 5: Robert Massung (D/R)

State College
Director: Arnold Tilden (D/R), Scott Fozard (D/R), Jim Leous (D/R), David K. Hutchinson (D/R), Lori Bedell (D/R), Bradford Vivian (D/R)