By Joe Pinchot and Courtney Anderson
Herald Staff Writers
MERCER COUNTY, SOUTH PYMATUNING TOWNSHIP
May 19, 2009 11:04 pm
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Voters did not wait around to the general election to choose three new districts judges, although they still have to give the official nods in November.
Sharon and Sharpsville voters tabbed Dennis Songer, Grove City-area voters chose D. Neil McEwen, and Greenville-area voters selected Brian Arthur.
Each man won both the Democratic and Republican nominations, meaning their names will be the only ones on the November ballot.
Songer, a former county controller, won 32 percent of the Democratic votes and 35 percent of the smaller Republican vote, outdistancing former Sharon Police Chief Thomas Burke, Sharon Mayor Bob Lucas — who came in fourth on each ballot — and others in a six-horse race.
Songer, 53, of Sharpsville, would head the office in Sharon that serves Sharon and Sharpsville.
Arthur, 43, Hempfield Township, handily won both sides of the ballot with 48 percent of the Democratic votes and 55 percent of the Republican ones. The Hempfield Township police chief topped attorney Joseph M. Gula on the Republican ballot by more than 500 votes, and the Democratic slate by more than 350 votes.
The judicial district, with an office in Greenville, serves Greenville, Jamestown, Clark and Greene, West Salem, South Pymatuning, Pymatuning, Hempfield and Sugar Grove townships.
McEwen, 37, of Grove City, won 46 percent of the larger Republican vote and 40 percent of the Democratic vote for the judicial district that covers Grove City, Jackson Center, New Lebanon, Sandy Lake and Stoneboro and Deer Creek, French Creek, Jackson, Lake, Liberty, Mill Creek, New Vernon, Pine, Sandy Lake, Wolf Creek and Worth townships.
The office is in Pine Township.
McEwen, an assistant Mercer County district attorney, topped Tedd Nesbit by more than 200 votes among Republicans, and Barbara Brown and Nesbit by more than 80 votes on the Democratic slate.
• • •
It looks like the second time was the charm for Mark Presley.
The 18-year township public works employee appears to have clinched both the Democratic and Republican nominations for an open supervisor seat. He lost by one vote to longtime supervisor Mike Nashtock in 2007.
“It’s so great. I’m excited,” said Presley Tuesday night as the preliminary results were reported. “I have some good ideas.”
Presley got 210 votes to incumbent Joseph M. Christoff’s 181 and former township police chief John Neil Kelly’s 48.
Variations of the three Democrats names also showed up as write-ins on the Republican ballot, with Presley’s name mentioned about twice as often though some spellings were questionable.
The vote total won’t be official until it’s certified by the county in the coming weeks.
After nearly two decades working for the township, Presley said he wanted to have some input into how things are run.
“I’m looking to make the atmosphere much better,” Presley said, noting that he’s been coming to supervisors meetings regularly for four years and on and off since he was hired and is looking forward to having a voice.
Getting roads repaired, hiring employees that live in the township and putting up road signs never installed after the 911 system started in the county more than 15 years ago are priorities for Presley, he said.
“I’m most definitely thankful that people of South Pymatuning took the time out of a beautiful day to voice their opinion,” Presley said, adding that he was impressed by voter turnout. “I hope to change things for the better.”
Presley said he ran a “solid, clean campaign” and was upset to see his opponent — whose name he wouldn’t say or confirm — take a negative approach.
Christoff had publicly questioned the union contract Presley and his wife Karen, the township secretary, have worked under the past six years and claimed a pension plan put into place by working supervisors at that time was “unfair” to the township. The contract is up at the end of the year.
Some voters got “nasty” fliers in the mail in the past week about Presley, he said, and he feels badly for that.
“All it did was hurt him,” Presley said of the other candidate.
Messages left for Christoff and Kelly were not immediately returned.
Results from the county elections office: www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us
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