Carbon County voters will have plenty of choices to make in the 2011 Municipal Election, starting with the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 17.

A new judge, nine row offices and three magisterial district judge positions are all on the ballot.The judgeship was created by the untimely death of Judge David W. Addy on Dec. 17, 2009. Since that time, Senior Judge Richard W. Webb has been handling the docket which would have been set aside for Addy, supplementing the work of President Judge Roger Nanovic and Judge Steve Serfass.Two assistant county district attorneys, James Lavelle and Joseph Matika, have announced their candidacies for the 10-year term of office.Meanwhile, nine of the county's current officeholders are running for re-election to four-year terms of office. They include Commissioners William O'Gurek and Charles Getz, both Democrats, and Republican Wayne Nothstein, as well as six other Democratic officeholders, including Controller Robert Crampsie, Recorder of Deeds Emmett McCall, Sheriff Dwight Nothstein, Prothonotary Joann Behrens, District Attorney Gary Dobias and Coroner Bruce Nalesnik.Elsewhere, in the lower court judiciary, three magisterial district judges are up for re-election, although one of them is not seeking to return to the bench. Each of the terms are for six years.District Justice Bruce Appleton of Palmerton has announced he is retiring from District 56-3-02, which covers the lower Carbon County municipalities, including the boroughs of Palmerton, Bowmanstown and Parryville and the townships of Towamensing, Lower Towamensing, Franklin and East Penn. Several candidates are seeking the right to succeed him.The term of Magisterial District Judge Edward M. Lewis of Jim Thorpe is also expiring. That district includes the boroughs of Jim Thorpe, Lehighton and Weissport and the townships of Mahoning and Penn Forest. Lewis is expected to run for re-election, although he has not formally announced his candidacy.That is also the case in District 56-3-03, where Casimir Kosciolek of Nesquehoning is the judge. The district includes the boroughs of Lansford, Nesquehoning and Summit Hill and the Township of Mahoning. Like Lewis, Kosciolek is seeking re-election but has yet to formally announce his candidacy.The term of Magisterial District 56-3-04 Judge Joseph Homanko is not up for re-election.County voters will also participate in balloting this year for two state judgeships. There is one seat to be filled on both the Superior and Commonwealth courts.Candidates seeking election or re-election to these positions have until March 8 to file nominating petitions in the Carbon County Elections Bureau. Judicial candidates, both statewide and in Common Pleas, are required to file their petitions in Harrisburg.