Voters in Carbon and Schuylkill counties favored Republican candidates for state judgeships, both in two ballot races and five retention votes, although statewide totals indicate the seven Democrats were victorious in Pennsylvania’s at-large voting.

There were two races for seats on Pennsylvania’s courts up for grabs: 10-year terms for a Superior Court judgeship and a Commonwealth Court judgeship.

In the Superior Court balloting, the candidates were Democrat Brandon Neuman, Republican Maria Battista and Libertarian Daniel Wassmer.

In Carbon voting, Battista won with 9,590 votes. Neuman tallied 6,614, and Wassmer netted 360. In Schuylkill balloting, the voters favored Battista with 22,83 votes, while Neuman had 12,179 votes and Wassmer, 842 votes.

The Commonwealth Court candidates included Republican Matt Wolford, who collected 9,702 votes in Carbon County and 22,524 votes in Schuylkill County. Democrat Stella Tasi finished with 6,774 votes in Carbon County and 12,521 votes in Schuylkill County.

Retention

The three Democratic Supreme Court justices, Christine Donohue, Kevin M. Dougherty and David Wecht, who are apparent statewide winners, each got negative reviews in Carbon and Schuylkill counties.

Donohue, a Lansford native, was on the short end of a 8,313 to 7,772 vote in Carbon County and got 18,629 “no” votes in Schuylkill County, compared to 16,067 who voted “yes” to retention.

Dougherty lost the Carbon County vote, 8,260 to 7,775, and the Schuylkill County tally, 18,678 to 15,999.

Wecht’s loss in Carbon County was by a margin of 8,347 to 7,620, while he also lost Schuylkill County, 18,879 to 15,703.

On the balloting for Alice Beck Dubow’s retention for another 10 years as a Superior Court judge, while she appears to be the statewide winner, she too lost both counties.

In Carbon County, there were 7,976 “no” votes, compared to 7,267 “yes” votes, and in Schuylkill County, she was defeated 17,382 to 16,453.

And in the balloting for Michael H. Wojcik’s retention for another 10-year term on the Commonwealth Court bench, he too is likely to succeed despite the local votes. He lost Carbon County by a margin of 7,886 to 7,341, but did manage to win in Schuylkill County, 16,911 to 16,833.

Carbon County

There were three Carbon row offices on the ballot this time around, and the three Republican office holders seeking reelection to four-year terms were all unopposed.

Treasurer Kevin Zelienka, Clerk of Courts Tyra L. Boni and Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans Court Jean A. Papay received token votes of 12,258, 12,255 and 12,426, respectively.

Schuylkill County

Sitting District Magistrate Andrew Serina will become the county’s next judge, as he was unopposed on both the Democratic and Republican ballots in the May primary election and Tuesday in the general election. He received 29,695 complimentary votes.

There were two county row offices on the ballot: sheriff and district attorney.

Republicans Shawn Butler and Michael O’Pake were the respective candidates for the four-year terms and were without opposition. Butler collected 30,563 votes and O’Pake tallied 29,789 votes.