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Chester County Press

Primary Election takes place on May 21

05/14/2019 02:07PM ● By Steven Hoffman

The Pennsylvania Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, May 21, and there will be dozens of races on the ballot for voters to make decisions about in advance of the general election in November. Here’s a look at a few of the races:

In the Chester County Commissioners race, all three incumbents—Republicans Terence Farrell and Michelle Kichline and Democrat Kathi Cozzone—are seeking reelection. On the Republican side, Farrell and Kichline are the two candidates for the two seats. On the Democratic side, Josh Maxwell, Ginny Kerslake, and Marian Moskowitz have filed alongside Cozzone. In the Primary Election, two Democrats and two Republicans will earn a spot on the November general election ballot.

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan is seeking reelection and is the only Republican on the Primary ballot. Deb Ryan is running as a Democrat and appears to have a clear path to the November general election.

Republican Matt Holliday of West Chester Borough is the incumbent prothonotary, and he is seeking reelection. On the Democratic side, Debbie Bookman of Coatesville Borough and Joe Heffern of East Fallowfield Township have filed.

Terri Clark, the incumbent Chester County Register of Wills, is seeking reelection and is the lone Republican on the ballot. Lisa Longo and Michele Vaughn will be vying for the Democratic nomination.

With no incumbent running for the county Recorder of Deeds position, Amber Little-Turner, a Republican from Coatesville Borough, and Chris Pielli, a Democrat from West Goshen Township, have filed for the Primary Election.

In the Kennett Square Borough Council race, three seats are up for election. So far, five candidates, all Democrats, have filed: council president Doug Doerfler, Lorenzo Merino, Rosa Garza Moore, Stephanie Oyler, and Mayra Zavala. Last week, Merino was appointed to fill a vacancy on borough council.

In West Grove Borough, council candidates include Democrats Karen Beltran, Fred Boyce, Elizabeth Garduno, and Kristin Proto, and Republicans Charles J. Donovan, Clyde R. Jacobs II, Mark Johnson, and Michael Ranieri.

There are numerous board of supervisor positions up for grabs in the 2019 election cycle.

Incumbent Richard Leff is seeking another term as a supervisor in Kennett Township. He appears to have a clear path to the Democratic nomination, while Hunter Tower has filed for the Republican nomination.

In London Britain Township, Brian Sachs has filed for the Democratic nomination, while Russell McKinnon has filed for the Republican nomination.

Mary Anne Steel, a Democrat, is seeking reelection as a supervisor in New London Township.

In East Marlborough Township, with two seats up for grabs, Democrats Robert Jerger and Eric Matuszak have filed, while incumbent John Sarro and Shelley May Mincer are seeking the Republican nominations. For the unexpired two-year term, Bruce Jameson is seeking to be elected as a Republican.

There are also two seats up for election in Franklin Township, where Democrats David Gerstenhaber and Mary McVeigh and Republicans David Snyder and Brent Van Lith have filed.

In London Grove Township, Dina Manceva and Christine Allison are the Democrats and Richard Scott-Harper and Kevin Runey are the Republicans who are seeking the nominations. There are two seats up for election this cycle.

In New Garden Township, where two seats are up for election, Republicans Richard Ayotte and Randy Geouque are both seeking reelection, while David Unger has filed for the Democrat nomination.

There are two seats up for election in Penn Township, where Democrat Victor Mantegna is seeking reelection, while Laura Sperratore and incumbent Ken Bryson are seeking the Republican nominations.

In Avondale Borough, there are two council seats up for election. Republicans David Besselman and Stephen Cummings are seeking reelection. Paul Morgan is seeking the Democratic nomination.

The purpose of the Primary Election is to determine the nominees who will be on the ballot for the general election in November.