Schuylkill County voters on Tuesday decided nominations for county row offices, both on the Republican ballots, as well as casting complimentary votes for the unopposed candidate for judge of the Court of Common Pleas.

District Attorney Michael O’Pake of Norwegian Township was the winner of the GOP balloting for district attorney, defeating John Henry Urbanski of Pottsville. O’Pake, the incumbent, was previously registered as a Democrat.

He collected 7,897 votes, while Urbanski trailed with 6,142.

In the race for the party’s nomination for sheriff, the winner was Shawn Butler of Frackville. He collected 8,845 votes to outdistance Frank DiMarco of Walker Township, who finished with 5,466 votes.

Meanwhile, in what might be the first time ever, the election of a new judge in Schuylkill County did not have a contest.

Andrew A.J. Serina of West Penn Township, who is currently serving as a magisterial district judge in Orwigsburg, was unopposed on both the Republican and Democratic ballots. He received 12,726 and 5,912 votes, respectively, to virtually assure himself election to a 10-year term of office on the bench of the 21st Court of Common Pleas.

There were no Democratic candidates on the ballots in Schuylkill for either the district attorney’s or sheriff’s nominations.