Primary election day in Pennsylvania has come and gone. In the Scranton mayoral race, incumbent Paige Cognetti won the Democratic nomination easily over her opponent Bob Sheridan. Cognetti will face Republican nominee Trish Beynon, an account executive for a contractor, who edged out Lynn Labrosky by a narrow margin, in November. In Lackawanna County, former DA Mark Powell and current DA Brian Gallagher ran unopposed for Common Pleas Court Judge and District Attorney respectively.
In Luzerne County, an open judicial seat will feature a rematch of Tom Mosca, of Dallas, and Mark Bufalino, of Wilkes-Barre. Mosca is leading among Republican voters, while Bufalino had an edge with Democratic voters. In Hazleton, a Government study question won by a 65 to 35% margin, while in Nanticoke, voters opposed allowing council members to serve for more than three consecutive, elected terms, by a 71 to 29% margin.
In the race for Luzerne County Council, Council members John Lombardo, Brian Thornton and Greg Wolovich, past county councilman Stephen J. Urban and southern county resident Jackie Scarcella were the top vote getters on the Republican side, while Denise Williams, Dawn Simmons, Chris Belles, Steven M. Coslett and Tony Perzia topped the Democratic vote.
There was no primary competition in the county controller’s race because incumbent Republican controller Walter Griffith and Democratic contender Tim McGinley were each unopposed. The two will run against each other in November.
