Election lineup twists during primary

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on May 20, 2015

While most of the primary election results occurred as anticipated, several last minute write-in campaigns in Chadds Ford and Concord townships could add names to the November ballot or redefine specific races.

Democrat Alan Horowitz was unopposed on the primary ballot for his party’s nomination to run for a six-year term as supervisor in Chadds Ford, but with a two-year term also open, township Democrats urged their voters to write in Horowitz’ name for that slot also.

According to Chadds Ford Democratic Party Chairman Jesse Sheppard, that write-in campaign was successful. The unofficial county results indicate a total of 55 write-ins for that two-year term, but Sheppard said in a late e-mail that 43 of those are for Horowitz. Another 11 were also for Horowitz, but the name written in was incomplete, using only the candidate’s last name, Sheppard said.

As for the significance of the write-ins, Horowitz said he now has a choice.

“The write-in vote allows me to decide who to oppose in November. The timing of my decision will be dictated by the election rules, of course," Horowitz said.

According to Horowitz, only 10 votes would have been needed for him to have the option.

If Horowitz runs for the six-year term, he’ll face incumbent Republican Supervisor Samantha Reiner. If it’s the two-year term, he’ll face Noelle Barbone in the general election.

Reiner and Barbone both ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Reiner was appointed supervisor after Keith Klaver resigned in January. It was believed she would run for the remaining two years of that term, but local Republicans felt it would be better if she ran for the six-year term. If she wins that seat, she’ll replace George Thorpe.

Sheppard also said a write-in campaign worked to get Democrats Sharon Booker, Christine Reuther and Richard R. Womack on the ballot for Delaware County Council. No breakdown is given, but Delaware County’s unofficial results show more than 10,000 write-in votes were cast.

Democrats also ran a write-in campaign for Concord Township supervisor. There were no Democrats on the ballot, but the party asked people to write-in the names Dan Foster and John Wellington.

In an e-mail, Foster said those write-ins earned both a place on the ballot in November. He said he received 118 votes, while Wellington received 110.

Republicans running unopposed for supervisor in Concord were Gail Ryan and incumbent Kevin O’Donoghue. O’Donoghue is running for re-election while Ryan will run for the seat currently held by Dominic Cappelli, who is resigning from the board as of the end of May. His seat would have expired the end of this year. A replacement must be appointed until then.

The results in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board Region C race fell along party lines. The Democratic Party ticket of Kathy Do, Gregg Lindner and Beverly Brookes will face Republicans Carolyn Daniels, John Murphy and Lorraine Ramunno. Chadds Ford and Pennsbury Townships make up Region C.

In other Delaware County results, Republicans Colleen Morrone, John McBlain and Michael Culp ran unopposed in the primary and will be on the ballot for County Council.

Republican Party state Sen. Dominic F. Pileggi, along with Anthony Scanlon and Margaret Amoroso, will be on the November ballot seeking election to the Court of Common Pleas. Those three also cross-filed to run as Democrats in November.

Scanlon was also endorsed by the county Democratic Party. He’ll be joined on that ticket with Larry Abel and G. Lawrence Demarco.

Supervisor races in Birmingham and Pennsbury Townships in Chester County were unopposed. Incumbent Aaron McIntyre will be the Republican Party nominee in Pennsbury, and Michael Shiring will be on the GOP ballot in Birmingham. No Democrats were running for that party’s nomination in either township.

In Pocopson Township, Elaine DiMonte, an endorsed Republican seeking a six-year term as supervisor, ran unopposed, but a lively contest developed for an unexpired four-year supervisors’ term.

Following a court challenge, a second endorsed GOP candidate, Alice J. Balsama, had to wage a write-in campaign for the four-year term, which also being sought by Pocopson Supervisors’ Chairman Barney Leonard, and she appeared to prevail.

On the Republican side, unofficial results showed 133 write-ins and 114 votes for Leonard. On the Democratic side, 50 write-ins were cast.

With the exception of the prothonotary, candidates for Chester County row offices were unopposed in the primary. GOP Commissioners Terence Farrell and Michelle Kichline will face off in the fall against Commissioner Kathi Cozzone and Bill Scott. Democrats Tom Purl, Lani Frank, James Bell, and Hans Van Mol will attempt to unseat District Attorney Tom Hogan, Register of Wills Terri Clark, Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh, and Recorder of Deeds Rick Loughery respectively. The prothonotary’s race will pit Democrat Tisha Mae Brown against Republican Matt Holliday.

In a crowded race for a seat on the Chester County bench, the endorsed candidates prevailed: Democrat Julia Malloy-Good and Republican Allison Bell Royer.

Kathy Brady Shea provided content for this article.

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.