GOP establishment candidates shake off challengers in primary
Nick Sherman and Electra Janis
Maggi Fisher
Submitted photo
Democrats Cindy Fisher, center, and Larry Maggi, watch election totals stream in Tuesday night.
While there has been much saber-rattling in recent months about insurgents trying to take control of Washington County’s government, it was the establishment candidates who won the day during Tuesday’s primary.
Incumbent Commissioner Nick Sherman and GOP establishment candidate Electra Janis won the Republican primary in Washington County during a tumultuous time in which many running had tried to turn the party on its head.
Ashley Duff, who made a name for herself railing against the handling of the 2020 presidential election, finished third in the election, following closely by her running mate Bruce Bandel, and just ahead of fellow Republicans Sonia Stopperich Sulc and Kevin Redford.
The retirement of longtime Republican Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan opened up the slot for a new GOP candidate to ascend to the position, which will now be filled by Janis. On the Democratic side of the ballot, longtime Commissioner Larry Maggi and his running mate, Cindy Fisher, easily defeated Randy Barli on their side of the ticket.
Sherman and Janis will now face Maggi and Fisher in the November general election.
There was one upset in the Republican primary, with Ray Phillips defeating incumbent Clerk of Courts Brenda Davis, who has been mired in controversy during her tenure. Phillips will now face Democrat Bobby Dellorso, who ran unopposed in the primary.
In other row office races in the Republican primary, Prothonotary Laura Hough defeated challenger Kevin Hill, and Register of Wills James Roman defeated Christine Wiles Thomas. Longtime Coroner Timothy Warco also defeated challenger Marc Zmijowski in the Republican primary.
Elsewhere, Washington Mayor Scott Putnam appeared to lose the Democratic nomination to challenger JoJo Burgess, but it was unclear whether Putnam had enough write-in votes on the Republican side of the ballot to keep his candidacy viable.