Uncontested Centre County Primary Candidates Ready to Move on to General Election

Pennsylvania’s primary races for governor and U.S. senator have drawn plenty of national attention and intrigue, but there was little drama to be found further down the ballot in Centre County.

Republicans and Democrats on the ballot for the county’s three state House seats were uncontested in Tuesday’s primary, while only one candidate — incumbent Republican Rep. Glenn Thompson — appeared on either ballot for the county’s representative in Congress.

Third party candidates will have an opportunity to get on the ballot for November’s general election and a Democratic write-in could potentially emerge as a congressional candidate (an individual would need to receive 1,000 write-in votes).

In the meantime, here’s a look at the presumptive major party nominees in Centre County for state House and Congress.

Under the redrawn legislative maps approved by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court earlier this year, all three of Centre County’s state House districts are contained fully within the county, adding the new 82nd district and losing the 76th and 81st districts, which are currently represented by Stephanie Borowicz of Clinton County and Rich Irvin of Huntingdon County, respectively.

Centre County is reunited into one congressional district — the 15th — under the new maps, after being split since 2019 into the 15th and 12th.

All 87 precincts in the county have partially reported. The Centre County Elections Office expects full results from mail-in ballots to be reported by 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

77th State House District

The 77th District includes part of State College, all of Philipsburg and Port Matilda boroughs and all of Ferguson, Halfmoon, Huston, Patton, Rush, Taylor and Worth townships

Democrat

Rep. Scott Conklin, of Rush Township, is seeking his ninth term representing the 77th District. Prior to his election in 2006, he was a two-term Centre County commissioner.

Conklin received 5,336 votes as of Tuesday night.

Republican

Steven Yetsko, of Huston Township, is poised to challenge Conklin for the second consecutive time. He is an HVAC technician and community volunteer.

Yetsko received 4,672 votes as of Tuesday night

82nd State House District

The 82nd District includes part of State College along with all of Benner, Boggs, Burnside, College, Curtin, Harris, Howard, Liberty, Marion, Snow Shoe and Union townships and Howard, Milesburg, Snow Shoe and Unionville boroughs.

Democrat

Paul Takac, of Lemont, is a College Township councilman and an account executive in educational technology. He also serves on the Spring Creek Watershed Commission and Centre Region Council of Governments Public Safety Committee.

Takac received 4,787 votes as of Tuesday night.

Republican

Justin Behrens, of State College, is a U.S. Army veteran, social worker and founder of a Northeastern Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that advocates for those experiencing homelessness. He was previously chairman of the Luzerne County GOP before moving to State College last year.

Behrens received 4,830 votes as of Tuesday night.

171st State House District

The 171st district includes Bellefonte, Centre Hall and Millheim boroughs and Gregg, Haines, Miles, Penn, Potter, Spring, Walker townships in Centre County, as well as part of Mifflin County.

Democrat

Robert Zeigler, of Millheim, is president of Millheim Borough Council and a longtime manager in the hospitality and retail industries. He has served on Millheim Council since 2018

Zeigler received 2,438 votes as of Tuesday night

Republican

Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, of Bellefonte, is seeking his 14th term representing the 171st District. He has been House majority leader since June 2020. Prior to his election to the state House in 1996, he was elected to two terms as Centre County coroner.

Benninghoff received 4,657 votes as of Tuesday night.

15th Congressional District

The 15th Congressional District includes Centre Armstrong, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Snyder, Tioga, Union, Warren and parts of Indiana, Lycoming and Venango counties.

Democrat

No Democrat filed to be on the primary ballot. Through Tuesday night 2,911 write-in votes have been counted, though names of the write-ins are not yet available.

Republican

U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, of Howard Township is seeking his eighth term in Congress. He is the minority leader on the House Agriculture Committee and a senior member of the Education and Labor Committee. With Rep. Mike Doyle retiring at the end of the year, Thompson will become the longest tenured member of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation with a win in November.

Thompson received 14,905 votes in Centre County as of Tuesday night