No surprises, few voters in primary

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on May 17, 2017

There were few contested races in Tuesday's primary and in some cases, fewer voters. Chester County Voters' Services reported a total turnout of 14 percent of voters. There was no such reporting on Delaware County's website.

The one contested race in the area was for district judge in District 15-3-04 out of Kennett Square. There were five candidates running and all five cross-filed to run as both Democrats and Republicans, but Al Iacocca won the Democratic Party vote, and Jane Donze won the Republican vote.

At times, polling places such as Pennsbury South 1 at the township building, had more signs than voters and poll workers combined.

Iacocca took the Democratic Party vote with 1,444 votes. Donze became the Republican Party candidacy with 940 votes. Donze and Iacocca will be on the ballot in November to take over the judgeship. That bench has been vacant since former Judge Daniel Maisano retired in January 2016.

There were no surprises in any of the township races since candidates ran unopposed.

Noelle Barbone will run again for supervisor in Chadds Ford Township. No Democrat ran for that party's nomination, so Barbone will likely be unopposed in November.

The same is true for Wendell Fenton in Pennsbury, Ricki Stumpo in Pocopson and newcomer John Daniel Hill in Birmingham Township.

Concord Township showed similar results, even though there were extra positions up for election because of the change to home rule.

Incumbent council members Dominic Pileggi, John Gillespie and Tom Mahoney ran unopposed, as did Joshua Twersky and John Crossan who were seeking the Republican Party nomination for the two new seats on the council. There were no Democrats seeking nominations, so those five will also run unopposed in November.

Other races of note were for school director in Regions A and B of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.

Here, too, candidates were cross-filed and had no opposition. Jeff Hellrung and Elise Anderson will run again to retain their seats representing Region A, East and West Marlborough townships, while Thomas Day and Steve Simonson will be on the ballot in November to continue representing Region B, Newlin, Pocopson and Birmingham townships.

All results are unofficial until certified.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.