Daniel Blazosky, a Democrat, will square off against deputy coroner Robert W. Miller Jr. on the Republican ticket during the November general election in the hopes of becoming Carbon County's next coroner.

Current coroner Bruce Nalesnik is not seeking re-election.The primary responsibility of the coroner's office is to determine the cause and manner of deaths that occur in Carbon County.The new coroner will receive $27,589 in 2016 and $28,141 in 2017.Miller has nearly three decades of experience as a deputy coroner in Carbon County.During the past 26 years, he has investigated over 800 cases throughout the region with the Carbon County coroner's office.Miller graduated from Lehighton High School, and earned a bachelor's degree in physics with a minor in anatomy at Drexel University.He resides in Mahoning Township with his wife, Diana, and has three stepchildren and a son.Blazosky has over 10 years experience as a licensed funeral director in the Carbon County area, serving as supervisor for the Sverchek-Blazosky Funeral Home in Lansford.He graduated from Panther Valley High School, received a B.S. in business management from Monmouth University and an associate degree of applied science of funeral service education from Northampton Community College.A lifelong resident of Carbon County, Blazosky and his wife, Meghan, and their daughter, Danika, reside in Lansford.The Times News asked the candidates what they felt they would bring to the office, as well as what changes they would make. Their answers are published below in the order they were received.If elected, what would you bring to the office?Miller: I would bring over 25 years of experience in all facets of the operations of the coroner's office, included but not limited to being Pennsylvania State Certified in Death Scene Investigation; a medical background from Drexel University and consisting of 43 years as an EMT; knowledge of the rules and laws of the state of Pennsylvania as it relates to the coroner's office; an established professional relationship with all area police agencies; ambulance corps, and several district attorney's offices and much more. My experience includes over 800 death investigations.Blazosky: If elected as Carbon County coroner I plan on bringing my professional and personal experiences to the office. I have been working in the funeral care industry for the past 10 years with funeral homes throughout Carbon County. In that time, I have come to understand and care for people in the most dire situations. This same compassion will transpire into the coroner's office. Families will have my utmost attention and availability as investigations are conducted.What, if any, changes would you make for the Coroner's Office to run more efficiently?Miller: To clarify, the coroner's office, which I am proud to be a part of, runs quite efficiently with minimal expense to the taxpayers. That being said, I would continue with the modernization that coroner Bruce Nalesnik has started, and look to increase our capabilities to respond with additional resources when needed. I would also look to increase training options working with the County EMA, and find additional interested and qualified individuals to train as new deputies.Blazosky: Continuing education is important to any current professional role. If elected I will be sure myself and all deputies are educated on new technologies, concepts and efficiencies. This knowledge will be effective when working with other departments throughout the county such as police and fire companies. We will all work together to serve the residents of Carbon County.