Lehighton area townships, school board have races
Lehighton area voters have a contested race for positions on the Lehighton Area School District Board of Education, while other challenged races in that part of the county include races for seats on the Lehighton Borough Council and Mahoning Township Board of Supervisors.
Otherwise, voters in East Penn ad Franklin townships and Parryville and Weissport boroughs will not have any choices to make on their municipalities’ levels.
Here is a look at what voters will see on the ballots of the respective municipalities:
Lehighton Area School Board
Control of the district’s board of education is at apparent stake as five people will win seats in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
One of them is William Howland, who is an unopposed candidate for the two-year term that is available. He won both Democratic and Republican nominations in the Primary Election.
Meanwhile, six people are aspiring to the four four-year terms that are up for grabs. They include Timothy M. Tkach and Lory A. Frey, who both won Democratic and Republican nominations in May, Democrats Alex Matika and Kasara B. Weinrich and Republicans Joy Beers and Duane Dellecker.
Lehighton Borough
Four candidates are seeking three four-year terms that are available on the borough council.
They include Jordyn Beth Miller and Rebecca Worthy, who won both Democratic and Republicans in May and will appear on both ballots, Democrat Joseph R. Flickinger and Republican Jacob R. Bonser.
Meanwhile, three other municipal office seekers are unopposed, including Ryan Saunders, Republican, who is seeking the four-year term as mayor; Mary E. Strohl, who appears on both ballots for the four-year term as tax collector; and David A. Arndt, Republican, who is the lone candidate for the two-year term available on the council.
There are four-year terms as judges of elections and inspectors of elections in each of the borough’s three wards — First, Second and Third — but there are no candidates for the positions.
Mahoning Township
Three persons are seeking two six-year terms on the township’s board of supervisors.
They are Carol Etheridge, Democrat, and Matthew Wentz and Mark Schwalm, Republicans.
Pauline F. Homm, Republican, is unopposed for a four-year term as tax collector.
Other uncontested candidates in the township are Allison Everett, Republican, who is seeking a four-year term as inspector of elections in the Mahoning District; Joyce Walters, Republican, running for the four-year term as judge of elections in the New Mahoning District; Gilbert Walters, Republican, seeking the four-year term as inspector of elections in the New Mahoning District; and Jane L. Arnold, Democrat, seeking the four-year post as judge of elections in the Packerton/Jamestown District.
No one is running for the six-year or two-year terms as auditors in the township, nor the four-year terms as judge of elections in the Mahoning District and inspector of elections in the Packerton/Jamestown District.
East Penn Township
There are only two names on the township’s ballot.
Unopposed are Gary P. Kuehner, Republican, who is seeking the six-year term on the board of supervisors, and Kathy Henderson, Republican, aspiring to the four-year term as tax collector.
Otherwise, no one is running for the six-year term as auditor nor four-year terms as judges of elections and inspectors of elections in the South and North districts.
Franklin Township
Nicholas Storm and Sara J. Keiser, Republicans, are seeking the six-year term on the board of supervisors and the four-year term as tax collector, respectively, and are without opposition.
Other unopposed candidates on the township’s ballot are Lisa Sawyer, Republican, who is seeking the four-year judge of elections post in the Harrity District, and Stacy J. Sheckler, Republican, running for the four-year term as judge of elections in the Long Run District.
No one is running in Franklin for the six-year auditor’s position nor four-year terms as judge of elections in the Independent District and the four-year terms as inspectors of elections in the Independent, Harrity and Long Run districts.
Parryville Borough
Five candidates on the Parryville ballot are all unopposed.
They include Thomas W. Kobal, Republican, who is running for the four-year term as mayor; Monica L. Kunkle and Jason T. Smith, Republicans, who are seeking two of the three four-year terms on council; Michael Johnson, Republican, aspiring to a four-year term as tax collector; and Lamont G. Sherer, Republican, seeking the four-year term as judge of elections.
No one is running for the four-year term as inspector of elections in the borough.
Weissport Borough
The borough has just two candidates on its ballot.
Unchallenged are Jodi Becker, Republican, who is seeking the four-year term as mayor; and Lynette Moyer, Republican, seeking one of three four-year terms on council that are available.
No one is running for the four-year posts of judge of elections and inspector of elections.