Election results 2017- Municipal races

Some selected results from some down ballot races that I had an interest in because friends of mine were in the running. Spoiler alert, most of them lost. Sometimes I feel like the black cat of politics.

John Cordora at Blogfest

Longtime Kingston resident John Cordora ran for for Mayor of Luzerne as a Democrat. John has been a Republican candidate for State Rep and Mayor of Kingston. I always found him to one of the more entertaining people on the local political scene. He was always a good sport taking my snark in stride even when I said he resembles Vincent Price.

James Keller (R)  280
                                                          John Cordora (D)  235

Luzerne County Young Republican Prez John Lombardo  made his first run for elective office as a candidate for the Pittston Area School Board. It was just a matter of time before we saw his name on the ballot and it won't be the last. He's been a guest blogger on Gort42.   John is a lot like the young Gort becoming a political junkie at a young age.  He ran a great race and came close.

Joseph Salvo (DEM)		2,714
John Lombardo (REP)		2,384

 Keep an eye on what goes on in Kingston Township in the near future. I predict they are heading for  all sorts of legal challenges involving sunshine law violations and of conflicts of interest. The winning candidate is the son of of one of the present Supervisors who works for the township  road
Department.

Liz Martin has been a hard working public servant who deserved reelection.

Robert Wagner (R)  841
Liz Martin (D)         774

Blogfest Fall 2017

The Bloggers and the Blogcon Squirrels

Another great Blogfest was held at the River Grille in Plains. In addition to the political types NEPA Blogcon joined us for their after party. There is always a prize for the person who traveled the farthest and this time it goes to PA Lt. Governor candidate Aryanna Berringer who came all the way from Pittsburgh. Aryanna is no stranger to our area, she lived in W-B a few years ago.


Two 11th Congressional District candidates also traveled a bit. Democrat Alan Howe from Carlisle made another appearance in the area and Republican Andrew Shecktor left the wilds of Berwick to
join us.




 Many Luzerne County hopefuls were there. Both Controller candidates, incumbent Michelle Bednar (D) and former Controller Walter Griffith (R), worked the crowd. County Council Democratic nominees Wendy Cominsky, Matt Vough mixed it up with Republicans Marc Dixon and Greg Wolovich. Municipal candidates included Luzerne Mayor candidate John Cordara (D?), incumbent Dallas Twp. Supervisor Liz Martin (D) and Plains Twp. Commissioner nominee Barry Kresge (R).
Plus W-B City Councilman Tony Brooks (R) and State Rep Jerry Mullery.

The NEPA Blogcon group were a lot of fun and added energy to the gathering.

Local TV coverage

Bloggers meet political candidates in person

Liz Martin for Dallas Township Supervisor

Liz Martin (D) is running for reelection as Dallas Township Supervisor and met with her supporters tonight to give her pitch.

Since her election in 2011 she lists many accomplishments the most important being putting the town on a sound fiscal footing without raising taxes in the last 3 years. She said the finances were a mess when first elected with the Supervisors juggling accounts just meet payroll. Today Dallas Twp. has a $3 million budget with a $3 million reserve fund. Martin heaped praise on her fellow Supervisor Bill Grant (R) for his cooperation and foresight. Looking to the future her top priorities are relocating the Municipal Building from a garage to a better facility and improving the parks.

It was a bit of a shock when Martin defeated Glenn Howell by 44 votes in 2011.
I don't think a Democrat had won an election out there since Ike was President. Landslide Liz.

Her opponent is Dallas township road department employee Robert Wagner (R). His father happens to be Dallas Twp. Supervisor Frank Wagner (R). I wonder how he got that job? All sorts of conflict of interests questions come to mind. One person at the meeting tonight said people will be voting for Wagner the younger thinking it's Frankie. I know about that kind of name confusion.

Her Facebook page: 

Liz Martin, Dallas Township Supervisor

Democrats have success in the Back Mountain

The Back mountain region of Luzerne County has been a Republican stronghold for as long as I can remember but in this past election the Democrats had some notable successes.


Election 2011 proved to be an election of change in the 2nd District, with candidates making history and voters sending a message.

In Dallas Township, the heart of the natural gas debate, Democrat Liz Martin was elected Supervisor, beating a Republican incumbent in a Republican town that held that position since Dwight Eisenhower was president, and the first woman to hold the post. A critic of the gas industry, Liz vowed to preserve our environment, protect the integrity of our drinking water, and stop the industrial exploitation of our land at the expense of public safety. In short, the people of Dallas won on election night, and the gas companies lost.

At Harvey's Lake, Democrats took a majority of the seats up for election for borough Council, with Michell'e Boice, Ed Kelly, and Thomas Kehler leading the charge. Natural gas played a significant role in this race, as well; The voters sent a message to the GOP-controlled Council that passed a weak, watered-down ordinance in October -- while having rejected a stronger, more substantive ordinance in March -- by electing Boice, Kelly, and Kehler, signaling that they want their water protected and free from contamination.

Both races were the proverbial ball game in the 2nd District, and the results go to show that solid, progressive candidates with the interests of the middle class and working families at heart will always triumph over regressive, corporate-backed politcs.

Finally, the biggest 2nd District winner of election night was Harvey's Lake's own Jennifer Rogers, receiving the highest number of votes for Judge in Luzerne County.

Congratulations to all Democratic winners and candidates. The 2nd District is quickly turning a beautiful shade of blue. In 2011, it was Dallas and Harvey's Lake, and in 2012, it's going to be Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.!

Spread the news: The sun is comin' up in the Back Mountain, again!

Casey Evans
2nd District Democratic Chairman
Dallas

From the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections

Supervisor DALLAS TWP

Liz Martin (DEM) . . . . . . . . 893
Glenn M. Howell (REP) . . . . . . 849


Council HARVEYS LAKE

Michelle T. Boice (DEM). . . . . .417
Amy Williams (REP) . . . . . . . 382
Ed Kelly (DEM). . . . . . . . . 379
Thomas Kehler (DEM) . . . . . . . 359
Jamie L. Coleman (DEM) . . . . . 332
Richard K. Haas (REP) . . . . . . 328
William Monk (REP) . . . . . . . 293
Richard Svec (REP) . . . . . . . 283

Liz Martin for Dallas Township Supervisor

From the Inbox





Dear Gort,


.
When I first took office as the Democratic Chairman of the 2nd District last year, I was told that my region was a Republican stronghold, and that finding solid Democratic candidates to run and win would be impossible. This year, in 2011, I believe that all of the naysayers are going to be proven wrong. What I have found in the 16 months since I have held this position, is that electing qualified, smart, and talented people to government is a far more important goal than simply working to elect candidates from one party over another; that true leadership comes not from party affiliation, but rather from the candidates themselves.



In Dallas Township, there is such a candidate: Liz Martin, who is making her second run for the post of Dallas Township Supervisor. Now, many of your readers might ask why special attention is being paid to a Supervisor race -- after all, it's a small, local office, right?
Wrong! In the Back Mountain, the largest political issue that has arisen within the past two years is the issue of natural gas extraction and transportation. It is at the top of voters' minds. The meetings, town hall meetings, and legal hearings are so well attended that there's barely standing room only. In the Dallas area -- the heart of the 2nd District -- issues range from allowing a metering station in close proximity to Dallas High School, tapping the aging Transco pipeline and pushing it to well beyond what it was built to handle, and of course, the issues of natural gas "fracking", itself. While Encana has pulled out of the area, those leases can (and most likely will) be sold to another company, and the integrity of our land, our drinking water, and the health of our population may once again be placed at risk. If a blowout were to occur at a metering station located at the proposed site next to Dallas High School, the consequences would be catastrophic. In the rollercoaster ride that this debate has become, the public has voiced its opposition to the industrialization of our residential areas, for the sake of profit for an industry that offers no apologies nor excuses for its destructive actions; and as local governments are directly involved in all of these issues, the role of Supervisor has become more important than it has ever been.



For each of these discussions, conversations, and legal proceedings, Liz Martin was there. She has stood up for the peoples' rights to clean water, safe towns, and safe schools. Liz has been there from the very beginning of the "fracking" conversation, speaking up for citizens whose voices are drowned out by the corporate cash of the gas industry. Through it all, she was never deterred, never intimidated, and always stood by her principles. If that's not leadership, then I don't know what is.



Her experience also makes her the ideal candidate: Liz has served on the Board of Directors for the Back Mountain Business Association, served as Co-Chair for the immensely successful and always well-attended Dallas Harvest Festival two years in a row, served on the Brass Ring Fund Committee, and was a founding member of the Back Mountain Arts Association Board of Directors. A businesswoman and community activist, Liz is the Managing Editor for Independent NEPA Magazine. She is a lifelong resident of the Back Mountain -- she graduated from Dallas High School and received her degree after attending College Misericordia (Now Misericordia University) and LCCC. Liz is a wife and mother, who also works as the office manager for her husband's business, Modern Nursery Tree Service in Dallas, and her son, Robert, is a 7th grade student and his Mom's biggest supporter.



As a District Chairman, I have the power and privilege of appointing at-large representatives to the party's Executive Committee of Luzerne County, and I could not think of any person better suited to best represent the voters in the 23 municipalities of the 2nd District than Liz Martin; I was proud to appoint her, and serving alongside her has been a pleasure and an honor. Liz is a person with a big heart and boundless compassion for her fellow citizens. Most important of all, I am prouder still to call her my friend.



This isn't about politics, this is about the future, and if Liz were running as a Republican, I'd still be supporting her. A candidate like her only comes along once in a great while, and if the voters of Dallas Township elect her to the position of Supervisor on November 8th, I guarantee that she will make them proud. Her opponent has been in office since the 1970s, and while times have changed dramatically since then, township government, unfortunately, has not.
Now is the time for a Fresh Start in Dallas Township: and Liz Martin is the right woman for the job!



Sincerely,



Casey Evans
Second District Democratic Chairman
Dallas


Scott Cannon sent along this video