Election category, Page 130
Westmoreland election results show GOP strength, impact of straight party voting
Republicans Sean Kertes and Doug Chew cruised to victory last week to secure a new GOP majority on the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners and, in doing so, finished more than 5,000 votes ahead of two better-financed Democratic incumbents. Political observers said the Republican wins for commissioner and four other...
Citing voter approval, Marsy’s Law supporters call on ACLU to drop challenge
Advocates are calling on the ACLU of Pennsylvania to drop its lawsuit against a proposed crime victims’ rights amendment to the state constitution after unofficial election results showed voters approved it 3-1 Tuesday. The amendment, which passed the General Assembly twice in the last two years, was scheduled to become...
Voters in U.S. states decide on sanctuary city, Airbnb rentals
Voters in the West took a dim view of taxes, while New Yorkers backed a new way to elect some of their leaders and a New Jersey city cracked down on Airbnb. Tucson voters seemed uninterested in becoming a sanctuary city, and those in Washington weighed whether to roll back...
Beshear claims victory in Kentucky governor race; Bevin refuses to concedeVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky’s bitter race for governor went into overtime as Democrat Andy Beshear declared victory while Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, a close ally of President Donald Trump, refused to concede with results showing he trailed by a few thousand votes. Kentucky has some sorting out to do before...
Democrats promise swift action after win in VirginiaVideo
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Democrats promised swift action on a host of liberal policy proposals now that they’ve won full control of state government for the first time in more than two decades. Democratic leaders said Virginians should expect a higher minimum wage, new gun restrictions and greater abortion rights...
Chelsa Wagner wins another term as Allegheny County controller
Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner rolled to a lopsided victory in Tuesday’s election despite an outstanding criminal case against her stemming from an alleged March 6 confrontation with police at a Detroit hotel, according to unofficial election results. The results showed that Wagner collected 63.2% of the votes cast compared...
2 incumbents, challenger win contested Allegheny County Council races
Two Allegheny County Council incumbents facing election challenges Tuesday cruised to victories, while a third incumbent was ousted, according to unofficial election results. Republican incumbent Cindy Kirk of McCandless collected 53.9% of the votes counted in District 2 to defeat Democratic challenger Christine Allen of Sewickley, who picked up 46%...
Pittsburgh’s North Side has new city council representative
Residents of Pittsburgh’s North Side will have a new city council representative in January for the first time in 13 years. Democrat Bobby Wilson of Spring Hill, who ousted longtime Councilwoman Darlene Harris in the May primary, won a three-way race for a District 1 seat. With 37 of 39...
Pittsburgh voters approve 0.5-mill tax increase to fund city parksVideo
Pittsburgh voters on Tuesday approved a ballot referendum that will result in a 0.5-mill property tax increase next year to generate money for improvements in city parks. With 392 of 402 precincts reporting, the referendum passed with 51.6% of votes counted, according to unofficial Allegheny County election results. Jayne Miller,...
Allegheny County DA Stephen A. Zappala Jr. claims victory over challenger Lisa Middleman
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. claimed a 14 percentage point win Tuesday against his second serious challenger in two decades, unofficial election results showed. Zappala, 62, a Democrat from Fox Chapel, collected 56.8% of the votes cast, while independent candidate Lisa Middleman garnered 43%, unofficial results showed...
James Albert defeats Jonathan Held in Westmoreland sheriff raceVideo
Jonathan Held, Westmoreland County’s long-embattled sheriff, lost his bid for a third term in office Tuesday. Democrat James Albert, a retired Greensburg district judge, defeated the Republican incumbent to bring an end to a tenure marred by a dozen discrimination lawsuits and pending criminal public corruption charges. With all 305...
Democrats win full control of Virginia statehouse
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Democrats continued their winning streak under President Trump on Tuesday and took full control of the statehouse for the first time in more than two decades. Democrats won majorities in both the state House and Senate in the marquee warmup for next year’s presidential election, the...
Dem leads Kentucky governor’s race that’s too close to callVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The hotly contested race governor’s race in Kentucky was too close to call Tuesday night, with Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear holding a narrow lead over Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Beshear had a lead of 4,658 votes out of more than...
2019 election results from across Western Pa.
Allegheny County voters on Tuesday retained Executive Rich Fitzgerald, District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. and Controller Chelsa Wagner, while in Westmoreland County, embattled Sheriff Jonathan Held was ousted by James Albert. The Trib covered numerous races. You can find results from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties here. ALLEGHENY COUNTY Allegheny...
Marsy’s Law votes won’t be counted, Pa. Supreme Court rules in split opinion
Pennsylvanians still have the right to cast a vote Tuesday on the proposed Marsy’s Law related to victim rights — but officials won’t be counting and sharing the results of votes on that particular measure, the state’s highest court affirmed in a split ruling Monday. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, on...
Low voter turnout expected across Western Pennsylvania on Election Day
Most counties in the area are predicting low voter turnout ahead of Tuesday’s election — typical for an election year with no presidential or congressional races. Only about a fourth of registered voters are expected to cast ballots in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties and a little more than a third...
Election HQ: Information on state, county, municipal races in Western Pa.
Election Day in Western Pennsylvania is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To get information on the local races, candidates and issues that are on your ballot, see the list below. For more information on polling places, go to the official election pages for...
Allegheny County DA Zappala faces challenge from independent Middleman, a longtime public defender
Allegheny County Public Defender Lisa Middleman is the second candidate to try to topple District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.’s 20-year tenure. Turahn Jenkins challenged Zappala, 62, in the Democratic primary in May. Jenkins, who left his post as the chief deputy director of the county public defender’s office to...
Marsy’s Law amendment hanging by a thread as election nears
The unprecedented, multimillion-dollar campaign to pass a referendum to include victims’ rights in the Pennsylvania Constitution is hanging by a legal thread, even before voters head to the polls Tuesday. The amendment, known as Marsy’s Law, has percolated through the General Assembly for two years. It passed the Legislature by...
In state Superior Court race, four candidates vie for two open seats
Four candidates are running for two open seats on Pennsylvania’s Superior Court, one of the state’s two intermediate appellate courts. The Superior Court hears all appeals from the Court of Common Pleas and is made up of 15 judges. Appeals are generally heard by a three-judge panel. Only one candidate,...
Open North Side seat, independents create crowded Pittsburgh City Council race
Three Pittsburgh City Council seats are up for grabs during Tuesday’s general election with independent candidates challenging two incumbents and vying for an open seat in the North Side’s District 1. Two council representatives – Democrats Corey O’Connor of Swisshelm Park and Deb Gross of Highland Park – are running...
Westmoreland Register of Wills race pits office holder against longtime office worker
The race for Westmoreland County register of wills pits the incumbent against one of the office’s longtime staff members. Democrat Katie Pecarchik, 51, is challenging Sherry Magretti Hamilton, 42, a Republican who is in her first four-year term. Pecarchik, a Hempfield resident, questions how much time Magretti Hamilton spends at...
School director, restaurant owner vie for Unity supervisor post
Michael O’Barto has spent two years on the Greater Latrobe School Board, but he hopes Unity voters will return him to his previous longtime role of township supervisor. Doug Murphy, who fell short in a 2017 bid to join the three-member board of supervisors, is vying again for the position....
Challenge to victims’ rights amendment heads to Commonwealth Court
A state appellate court will hear arguments Wednesday in Harrisburg in a suit seeking to bar Pennsylvania from counting votes in the Nov. 5 referendum on a crime victims’ rights amendment. Civil liberties advocates say Marsy’s Law, the proposed amendment that has attracted widespread support from victims’ rights groups and...
Hickenlooper urged to swap White House bid for Senate run
DENVER — John Hickenlooper has refused to yield to pressure from his team to scrap his presidential campaign and instead run for a Senate seat in Colorado. The former two-term Colorado governor is struggling to break through a crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates. He’s in the bottom tier of...
