Dayich wins race for Greene County judge
WAYNESBURG – Louis Dayich paced back and forth through the hallway of the Greene County office building Wednesday morning as he waited for the more than 300 absentee ballots to be opened to determine who would become the next county judge.
Dayich clutched a 94-vote lead over his Republican opponent Jeffry Grimes with all precincts reporting late Tuesday night, but he declined to declare victory with 324 absentee ballots left to be counted.
“I’ve never had an experience of being this nervous in my life,” Dayich said while wiping his brow as election workers thumbed through the last few absentee ballots in their office shortly before noon.
The final vote total showed Grimes trimmed Dayich’s advantage by eight votes, but it was not nearly enough to overcome the deficit, meaning Dayich will become the next Court of Common Pleas judge in Greene County. Dayich received 4,544 votes compared to the 4,458 votes for Grimes – a difference of just 86 votes.
“I just feel totally blessed,” Dayich said after learning the unofficial results. “I look forward to serving the people of Greene County and wish my opponent great success in the future.”
Grimes, 42, an attorney living in Center Township, said while the result was disappointing, he was still proud of his campaign.
“I’m extremely appreciative of all the support we received, which was 100 percent volunteer. We ran a clean campaign … so I have a clear conscience,” Grimes said. “I think we all knew it was going to be close.”
Grimes plans to continue practicing law in Waynesburg.
“It’s a job I really enjoy and one of the reasons it was a difficult decision to run in the first place,” he said. “I believe in the county and believe that I could have done the job and done it well.”
Meanwhile, Dayich, who has been a district magistrate in Waynesburg for 15 years, will serve in his position for the remainder of the year before he is sworn-in for a 10-year term in his new office in January.
That would leave a vacancy in his office for two years, meaning Greene County court officials could request the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts to assign a senior magisterial district judge to finish the term that is scheduled to end in January 2018. Court Administrator Sheila Rode said no former district judges from Greene County are in that rotation, so a retired magistrate from outside the county would have to fill that role.
“It’s been close to 20 years since we’ve had to do that,” Rode said.
She added an election will be held in 2017 to determine who will replace Dayich.
County election workers will begin the vote canvas Friday and could complete the final count a week later. Elections Director Tina Kiger said the count could be challenged before it becomes official, although it appears improbable the 86-vote margin would change.
The realization of what Dayich had accomplished seemed to strike him as he greeted friends and campaign supporters in the hallway after the final count.
“You do all of this work and what you wish for is a very difficult job,” Dayich said. “I think and hope the 15 years I’ve worn the robe (as district magistrate) will help me serve in this new position.”