Two newcomers to the political scene in Summit Hill Borough scored landslide wins in Tuesday’s primary election balloting, winning Democratic nominations for four-year terms as mayor and tax collector that are to be filled this year by the electorate.

Jeffrey Szczecina and Nathan Halenar scored convincing wins in securing their party’s nominations for mayor and tax collector, respectively.

Also in Summit Hill, challenged races for nominations for two different borough council terms were decided, while in Lansford, a two-person race for the Democratic nomination for the four-year term as mayor, those being the only other contested race within Panther Valley balloting.

Summit Hill

Szczecina scored a lopsided win of 459-100 over Kevin Steber in his first bid for office, while Halenar, the other newcomer, had similar success, a 426-141 win over Lacey Gonzalez.

In the borough council balloting, William J. “Billy” O’Gurek was the top vote-getter for two different races. He was joined by Michael Alabovitz and Joseph Weber in winning three nominations for four-year terms and then won the nomination for a two-year term over Alabovitz and Weber.

In the four-year term race, O’Gurek tallied 433 votes, followed by Alabovitz with 339 and Weber with 320. Losing out was Todd Konstance, who received 277 votes.

In the two-year term race, O’Gurek led the way with 266 votes, followed by Alabovitz with 151 and Weber with 99.

Meanwhile, five people who sought four-year terms as poll officials were all unopposed. Receiving complimentary votes were Democrats Sheryl A. Radocha, 139, judge of elections, and Barbara Shelton, 155, inspector of elections, both in the First Ward; Joseph J. O’Gurek, 168, judge of elections, and Aurelia DeMatto, 163, inspector of elections, both in the Second Ward; and Republican Harmony Smith, 62, inspector of elections position in the First Ward.

No one ran in the borough for a six-year term as constable in Summit Hill, nor four-year positions as judges of elections and inspector of elections in both the Third Ward and in the White Bear District.

Lansford

The Rev. Hugh Vrablic won a two-person race for the Democratic nomination for a four-year term as mayor of Lansford, defeating Joseph Butrie by a vote of 119 to 97. Vrablic will face Republican Michele R. Bartek in November for the position. She was unopposed Tuesday and received 123 complimentary votes.

There was a shortage of candidates for three four-year terms on the borough council that are to be filled. Only Democrat Jennifer M. Staines and Republican Gwyneth Brimmer-Collevechio sought their respective parties’ nominations. Staines collected 170 token votes from the Democrats while Brimmer-Collevechio received 188 “comps” from her party’s voters.

Democrat Terrance P. McCall was unopposed for the nomination for the four-year term as tax collector and received 220 complimentary votes.

There was only one other candidate on the Lansford ballots. Democrat Jesse Durning received 59 votes in securing his party’s nomination for a four-year term as judge of elections in the West District.

No one ran in Lansford for the six-year term as constable nor for four-year terms as judge of elections and inspector of elections in the East and Middle districts or the inspector of elections position in the West District.

Nesquehoning

Five candidates who appeared on the Nesquehoning Borough ballot Tuesday were all unopposed.

Receiving complimentary votes were Republican Thomas Jeremy Kattner, who received 246 votes to win his party’s nomination for a four-year term as mayor, and Democrats Mary A. Fox, 255, and Rosemary Porembo, 223, who sought two of the three nominations for four-year terms on the borough council.

Tuesday’s balloting also set the stage for a tax collector’s race in the borough, where one Democrat and one Republican were unopposed and will face each other in November. Receiving complimentary votes in that race were Democrat Patricia R. Vito, 299, and Republican Karen Sweeney, 166.

There were no candidates in Nesquehoning for the six-year term as constable nor judges of elections and inspectors of elections positions, all four-year terms, in both the East and West districts of the town.