Luzerne County Councilman Kevin Lescavage lost his bid for a Republican nomination to stay in office while three incumbents, a former councilman and a newcomer won nominations, according to unofficial results from the primary election Tuesday.
On the Democratic side, former Board of Elections Chair Denise Williams dominated the balloting.
Council Chair John Lombardo led the way on the Republican side with 12,065 votes. The other winners of the five nominations were Councilman Brian Thornton, 9,838; former Councilman Stephen J. Urban, 9,042; newcomer Jackie Scarcella, 8,999; and Councilman Greg Wolovich, 8,638. Lescavage was next with 8,339 votes, followed by Thomas Dombroski, 8,017; Ronald D. Knapp, 6,629; and Rob Viars, 4,742.
Williams led the Democrats with 14,647 votes. The other Democratic winners were Dawn Simmons, 12,461; Chris Belles, 12,048; Steven M. Coslett, 11,501; and Tony Perzia, 10,618. Emily Singh, with 8,763 votes, and Johnny Price, with 8,057, finished out of the money.
For Urban, the victory will mean a chance at redemption. He lost a 2023 re-election bid, two months after he was charged with assault. He pleaded guilty in 2024 to harassment and evidence tampering and was sentenced to a year on probation. Dombroski also lost two years ago.
The five winners on each side will face off in the Nov. 4 municipal election.
Republicans enjoy a 7-4 majority on the 11-member council, but Democrats won four of the six available seats in 2023.
In the race for a common pleas court judgeship, attorney Mark Bufalino, a former county Democratic Party chairman, and attorney Tom Mosca will face off again in November.
Bufalino won the Democratic nomination by 13,249 votes to 6,985.
Mosca won the Republican nomination with 11,782 votes to Bufalino's 7,528.
Voters will also have a choice for controller in November. Incumbent Controller Walter L. Griffith, a Republican, and former County Councilman Tim McGinley, a Democrat, were unopposed in the primary.
In Hazleton, a nonpartisan proposition to create an elected commission to study creating a new form of government passed by 944 to 497 votes.
Voters also elected seven government study commission members, Allison Keegan, 869 votes; Mayor Jeff Cusat, 823; former Mayor Joseph Yannuzzi, 823, Councilman Tommy Bruno, 773; city economic development director Joseph C. Zeller III, 627; Rossanna Gabriel, 618; and Phil Bonafair, 613. The candidates who did not make the cut were Councilman John Nilles, 595; Vianney Castro, 505; David Dominguez, 441; Orisa Dotel, 357; and Isaura Pine, 346
In Nanticoke, a nonpartisan proposition that would have eliminated term limits for city council members was defeated by 935 to 376 votes.
Here is a breakdown of contested countywide races in other counties and other yes-or-no referendum questions. All results are unofficial.
BRADFORD COUNTY
The county had no countywide offices up for election, but voters in Rome and New Albany boroughs offered a split verdict on allowing licensed liquor sales within their borders.
New Albany voters authorized sales by a 30-13 vote.
Rome voters defeated the idea by a 14-8 vote.
COLUMBIA/MONTOUR COUNTIES
The two candidates for a common pleas court judgeship that covers both counties split the nominations.
For the Republican nomination, incumbent Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony J. McDonald, a former assistant district attorney, defeated attorney David C. James. McDonald had 3,476 votes, James, 3,084.
James, a current assistant attorney, was unopposed for the Democratic nomination, which he won with 3,555 votes. He is the son of longtime Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas A. James, who remains a senior judge.
LYCOMING COUNTY
Though the county had no contested countywide offices this year, voters of any political affiliation in Cascade, Gamble, Mifflin and Porter split on referendums that asked if they favor allowing licensed small games of chance in the townships.
According to unofficial results, Cascade, by 43 to 22 votes, and Porter, by 113 to 83, approved the measure. Gamble, by 92 to 47, and Mifflin, by 81 to 75, rejected it.
MONROE COUNTY
Former county assistant public defender Janet Jackson and special assistant district attorney Patrick J. Best won the Democratic nominations for two common pleas court judgeships.
On the Republican side, former assistant district attorney Kelly Lombardo and Alexander Marek, a former Northampton County chief deputy district attorney, won the nominations.
Magisterial District Judge Jamie Levy was the only candidate not to win a nomination.
On the Democratic side, Jackson had 6,174 votes; Best, 4,345; Levy, 3,728; Lombardo, 2,633, and Marek, 833.
On the Republican side, Lombardo had 5,559 votes; Marek, 3,299; Best, 2,067; Jackson, 1,890, and Levy, 1,164.
Voters will also have a choice for treasurer in November. Incumbent Treasurer Theresa Johnson, a Republican, and Ira Jolley, a Democrat, were unopposed in the primary.
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
In the only contested countywide race, county solicitor Frank William Garrigan and county Chief Public Defender Edward C. Greco swept the Democratic and Republican nominations for two common pleas court judgeships. They defeated Magisterial District Judge William C. Cole.
On the Republican side, Greco finished first with 4,715 votes, Garrigan, 3,616, and Cole, 3,177.
Greco also finished first on the Democratic side with 2,380 votes to Garrigan's 2,162 and Cole's 2,001.
The victories mean Greco and Garrigan are virtually assured of election in November.
SCHUYKILL COUNTY
District Attorney Michael O'Pake, running for the first time as a Republican, easily defeated attorney John Henry Urbanski for the party's nomination to the post.
With all 125 precincts reporting, O'Pake had 7,857 votes, Urbanski, 6,142. No Democrat was on the ballot, but 1,196 Democratic write-in votes were cast so it's possible someone won the nomination. It won't be known who won until the official count is complete.
O’Pake, first elected district attorney in 2013 as a Democrat, switched his voter registration to the Republican Party in January.
In the other contested countywide race, for the Republican nomination for sheriff, Shawn Butler, the county chief deputy sheriff, defeated Blythe Township police officer Frank J. DiMarco. Butler had 8,845 votes, DiMarco, 5,466. No Democrats are on the ballot for sheriff, but 1,811 Democratic write-in votes were cast so it's possible someone won the nomination.
TIOGA COUNTY
Challenger Heather A. Lundgren defeated incumbent Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts Marie Seymour and another challenger, Reva Baldwin to win the Republican nomination. No Democrat was on the ballot, but 460 write-in votes were cast for the Democratic office. Who received the write-in votes won't be known until the completion of an official count.
In the only other contested countywide race, incumbent Sheriff Frank Levindoski easily defeated Scott A. Henry, 3,625 votes to 1,106.
No Democrat was on the ballot, but 500 Democratic write-in ballots were cast.
WYOMING/SULLIVAN COUNTIES
Nina Sordoni is virtually assured to become a county judge. She earned the Democratic and Republican nominations for a joint judgeship with Sullivan County.
With the county getting a second common pleas court judgeship, three candidates wanted the job: attorneys Richard L. Huffsmith, Paul Litwin III and Sordoni. Each sought the Democratic and Republican nominations.
Sordoni prevailed in both races across the two counties, according to combined results from the Pennsylvania Department of State website. In the Democratic contest, she won 843 votes compared to 683 for Litwin and 325 for Huffsmith. In the Republican contest, Sordoni won 1,758 votes compared to 1,578 for Huffsmith and 1,402 for Litwin. Huffsmith won the most Republican votes in Wyoming County (1,437 there and 141 in Sullivan), but Sordoni's strong showing in Sullivan County (509 votes plus 1,249 in Wyoming) gave her the edge for the GOP contest in the two counties overall.
The other contest was for the Republican nomination for county treasurer between deputy treasurer Carol Bardzel and Judy Barziloski. Incumbent Patricia Crandall Mead did not seek re-election, and no Democrat was on the ballot. Barziloski prevailed with 2,514 votes to Bardzel's 1,152. There were 110 write-in votes on the Democratic side and 10 on the Republican side -- not enough to affect the final outcome.
In Laceyville, a referendum on allowing licensed liquor sales within the borough narrowly passed by 31 to 26 votes.
