Michael Stender wins the special election for state representative in the 108th. The seat remains in Republican hands. It's been that way for decades. A Democrat won a special election in the Philadelphia area, so the Democrats keep control of the state house. The Republicans still have the majority in the senate.
It's a bit of a surprise in Lackawanna County, where incumbent Democrat county commissioner Jerry Notarianni failed to win a nomination. The nods go to Bill Gaughan and Matt McGloin. This was widely believed to be a race for second place, with Notarianni appearing safe. Go figure. It seems Notarianni was hurt by a low voter turnout. Incumbent Chris Chermak and Maria Campbell win the nominations on the Republican side. Laureen Cummings political comeback falls short.
Paul Ware captures the Democrat and Republican nominations for district justice in Scranton and Dunmore. He beats back a challenge from Maryclare Hayes. This was an aggressive race, with Ware keeping his seat.
Michele Bannon cruises to the Democratic nomination for Carbondale mayor. There are no Republicans in the race. Barring a strong write in in November, Bannon is the city's next mayor.
Here's a surprise! Luzerne County had election problems, before, during and after. First, many ballots weren't printed properly. Second, Hunlock Township ran out of ballots. Third, the numbers trickled in. Can someone explain what is going on here?
Now, on to November.
