May 14, 2018 6 min read

Do Republicans have more of a reason to head to the polls between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday, or will Democrats be motivated by what some are calling “the blue wave?”

Two top Pennsylvania Democratic incumbents – governor and U.S. senator – are running unopposed, while Republicans have a race at nearly every level.

Absentee ballot requests are one way to gauge turnout. The Washington County elections office sent 1,027 absentee ballots to those who requested them, and as of Friday’s deadline, 780 had been returned with votes.

Compare this with those requesting absentee ballots for the March 13 special congressional election numbered 1,559, 1,201 of which were returned.

A gubernatorial election year has the second-highest turnout when compared with turnout in a presidential election, according to Washington County Elections Director Larry Spahr.

“You just don’t feel the agitation that you had in March,” Spahr said Thursday as he rolled his hand into a fist and pumped it up and down.

Washington County turnout for the March 13 special election topped 42 percent. Spahr said of today’s balloting, “We should be around 40, 38 percent for a gubernatorial.”

The expectations are not quite as bold in Greene County. Elections director Tina Kiger said her office sent out 249 absentee ballots and received 198 back by Thursday afternoon. That’s just five ballots shy of what the office received for the March special election when only half of the county’s 44 precincts were eligible to vote.

“Considering that was only half the county, that’s pretty good,” Kiger said. “Not so much this time, though.”

She expected turnout to fall well short of the 42 percent of eligible voters who came out for the special election two months ago.

The Washington County Courthouse is closed for most business on primary election day except for election-related matters that require intervention by a Common Pleas Court judge.

Meanwhile, Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan is making a second run for statewide office. After an unsuccessful campaign for state treasurer in 2012, she is among four candidates running for lieutenant governor on the Republican ticket.

Irey Vaughan aligned herself with Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Mango of Pine Township, Allegheny County.

The statewide Republican Party endorsed State Sen. Scott Wagner of York County for governor and Jeff Bartos of Montgomery County for lieutenant governor.

Laura Ellsworth of Ohio Township, Allegheny County, rounds out the GOP field of those hoping to unseat Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in the Nov. 6 general election.

Also on the Republican ticket for lieutenant governor are Peg Luksik of Cambria County and Kathy Coder of Allegheny County.

Democrats running for lieutenant governor are Nina Ahmad and incumbent Mike Stack, both of Philadelphia; Braddock Mayor John Fetterman of Allegheny County; Kathi Cozzone of Chester County and Ray Sosa of Montgomery County.

Republicans hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in the fall are State Rep. Jim Christiana, who declined to seek another term representing parts of Beaver and western Washington County, and U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta of Hazelton, Luzerne County, where he was mayor.

Next on the ballot will be the first primary in the newly-created 14th Congressional District, which includes all of Washington, Greene and Fayette counties and the western part of Westmoreland.

Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone, after losing the special election in the 18th Congressional District two months ago to Democrat Conor Lamb, is making another try in reconfigured territory.

In an interview earlier this month, Saccone expressed confidence in gaining the nomination that would propel him toward a run in the new congressional district in November.

“I only lost in Allegheny County and that’s not in the 14th District. I won in Washington, Greene and Westmoreland counties, and they love me in Fayette,” Saccone said.

His opponent in the GOP Congressional primary, state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler, citing polling, said in late April, “Rick Saccone has near-universal name identification. We knew that going into it. However his unfavorability is rather high and his favorability soft.”

It’s special election time again in Washington County, today in the 48th state Legislative District where Democrat Clark Mitchell Jr., and Republican Tim O’Neal,both of South Strabane and Libertarian Demo Agoris of Houston are vying to serve the remainder of state Rep. Brandon Neuman’s term through the end of the year. Neuman’s seat in the Legislature has been vacant since he took the oath this past winter as a Washington County judge.

Mitchell also has an opponent in Joseph Zupancic of North Strabane in the quest for a two-year term as a representative for the 48th District, which would begin in January, while O’Neal is running unopposed for the Republican nomination to the full term.

All registered voters within the 48th District, which includes Canonsburg, Chartiers, Houston, Washington, East Washington, North Franklin and South Strabane are eligible to cast ballots in the special election being conducted in 39 precincts.

In the 40th Legislative District, James Roman of Peters Township, Paul Dixon of Bethel Park and Natalie Mihalek of Upper St. Clair hope to gain a Republican nomination while Democrats Sharon Guidi of Peters and Ed Eichenlaub of Bethel Park want to be their party’s standard-bearer. Longtime State Rep. John Maher declined to seek another term.

In the 46th Legislative District, Democrats Rueben Brock and Byron Timmins, both of Cecil Township, are trying to become the candidate who will challenge Republican incumbent state Rep. Jason Ortitay in November.

In the 49th Legislative District, Democrats Randy Barli of Coal Center and Stephen Toprani of Monongahela are squaring off to represent their party in the autumn against state Rep. Bud Cook, a Republican from West Pike Run Township.

Candidates are also running for party state committees.

Washington County Democrats are: Sandy Sabot of North Franklin Township, E. Benjamin Bright of Smith Township; Alan Benyak of Carroll Township; Charles A. Crouse of East Washington; Bob Sabot of North Franklin and Christina Proctor of North Strabane Township. Voters can choose a maximum of four, and the two males and two females with the highest number of votes will be elected.

Washington County Republicans are: Nick Sherman of North Strabane; Sonia Stopperich of North Strabane; Doyle W. Young III of Peters; William Merrell of Peters; Christina Rotunda Zaccone of South Franklin Township; Angela S. DeThomas of Washington; Monica Merrell of Peters; and Thomas J. Uram of North Strabane. Voters can choose a maximum of five. Two females and two males with the highest number of votes will be elected, with a person of either gender capturing the fifth-highest number of votes.

In Greene County, lone Democrat Robbie Matesic of Waynesburg is seeking the state committee slot while Betsy Rohanna McClure of Franklin Township is running unopposed for Republican state committee.

Voters will also be choosing precinct-level committeemen and committeewomen on the major-party ballots.

Regional editor Mike Jones contributed to this report.