Pine-Richland School Board's Region 2 will be a 4-way race this fall

Pine-Richland School Board Region 2 will remain a four-way race in the November general election.

According to unofficial results from the Allegheny County Office of Elections, the four nominees in the May 18 primary each garnered enough votes to appear on the fall ballot.

On the Democratic ticket, newcomer Russell Patterson and incumbent Christine Misback bested their opponents with 445 and 421 votes, respectively.

For the Republican ticket, it was newcomers Amy Terchick and Christina Brussalis that topped the votes with 919 and 836, respectively.

“(Primary) results are just the beginning of our work towards becoming school board directors,” said Patterson, an elementary principal for Pittsburgh Public Schools.

“Our job between now and the general election will be to continue to listen to our neighbors as well as share our message of unity amongst all of the Pine Richland community. The best is yet to come.”

Voters will choose two candidates in November. Each of the nominees cross-filed as a Democrat and Republican.

Region 2 includes people who live in Pine voting districts 2, 3 and 6, along with Richland voting districts 6, 7 and 8.

Terchick said she was emotional after the primary race and humbled by the outpouring of support.

“The community has spoken and change is needed,” she said. “From the outside a school board primary seems like a minor election, but there is nothing more important than the people we chose to oversee our schools.”

Misback, who is running on a slate with Patterson, said the experiences at the primary polls strengthened her resolve to find a common path toward community healing.

“We learned two important things from the voters,” Misback said. “First, that our community is united by the fact that we are passionate about our schools, that we love our children and we want our children to be viewed individually.

“Second is that we are a community that is hurting and that the path to healing is through communication.”

Misback said her platform is anchored by love for the community and all of its children.

“In looking to find a common path toward healing, we are excited to go out into the community to have open and honest conversations with the voters, face-to-face, as we did at the polls,” she said.