Quality candidates for Greene Commission
In Tuesday’s primary election, Republicans in Greene County have two candidates on the ballot for the county’s Board of Commissioners, in incumbent Archie Trader and newcomer Keith McClure. Barring an unexpected write-in campaign, Trader and McClure will both advance to the fall ballot.
Voters in the Democratic primary, on the other hand, have a much tougher decision to make. They have three solid candidates to choose from, with incumbents Blair Zimmerman and Chuck Morris seeking four more years on the board, joined by David Coder, who served on the board from 1996 to 2010, and left to work for U.S. Rep. Mark Critz during his brief stint in Washington, D.C., and then for his fellow commissioner, Pam Snyder, when she became a state representative.
Democratic voters must choose two of the three, and they would not go wrong with any of them. All are pragmatic and thoughtful and would likely be reliable stewards of Greene County government.
That being said, we hope one of the candidates Democratic voters choose is Coder. He would bring a wealth of experience thanks to the 14 years he previously served on the Board of Commissioners, along with the added experience he acquired in the halls of Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. Having Coder on the board would be particularly helpful in a new environment where reliable Harrisburg power brokers like state Sen. Barry Stout or state Rep. Bill DeWeese are no longer in office and no longer able to funnel resources to Greene County for local projects.
As for the other candidates, we could not choose one over the other. Each one brings experience and an in-depth knowledge of the county’s issues. Morris has served one term in his own right after being appointed to replace Coder, while Zimmerman is making his first bid for a term on his own after being named to the board following the departure of Snyder. After having served for almost a decade as Waynesburg’s mayor, he also brings a deep familiarity with issues in Greene’s county seat.
It might take a flip of the coin for Greene’s Democratic voters to decide. But whether it comes up heads or tails, they will be winners.