Who's Running This Year in Northampton County?

Easton City Council candidate Taiba Sultana and Bethlehem City Council candidate
Olga Negron, add diversity and a different perspective than we have experienced in generations

Yesterday was the deadline for nomination petitions in this year's municipal races. Over the past two days, candidates have cascaded into the NorCo elections office. I was lucky to have a front row seat witnessing democracy in action. Though municipal races usually have the lowest turnouts, these are the office holders who have the biggest impact on your lives. Below is an unofficial list of who has filed in Northampton County for various local offices, from borough councils to County Executive. I excluded elections inspectors, elections judges and tax collectors. I will have a separate posts for magisterial district judge candidates and school boards.

In many local governments, you will see the races are uncontested. In Bethlehem, no one has stepped forward to oppose Mayor Bob Donchez or four city council members seeking re-election. You might think they would all breathe a sigh of relief, but Olga Negron told me as she stood in line that she was hoping others would have run.

"It's more exciting," she said.

That's the attitude of someone who believes in democracy. Negron is a Latina in a city with an underrepresented Latino and Hispanic Bethlehem's population. Sultana is a Muslim, and represents perhaps the Lehigh Valley's most misunderstood population. After one incident of terror, she provided a Muslin perspective from her bible, which she calls "The Holy Quran": "If any one killed a person, it would be as if he killed the whole of mankind; and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole of mankind.”

County Executive (uncontested primary)
- Lamont McClure (D)
- John Brown (R)

Ron Angle, the NorCo Bulldog, is back!

Northampton County Council At-Large (5 seats) (uncontested primary)
- Peter Melan (D)
- William McGee (D)
- Ron Heckman (D)
- Tara Zrinski (D)
- Lori Vargo Heffner (D)
- Ron Angle (R)
- Peg Ferraro (R)
- Hayden Phillips (R)
- Glenn Geissinger (R)
- Seth Vaughn (R)

Blogger's Note: Think of this uncontested primary as the calm before the storm. I can guarantee you that Lamont McClure is going to hit Brown, and hard for what he has called a callous, crony-filled and corrupt administration. Brown will have to explain why he spent his third year in office running for something else. Geissinger has the same problem. He spent his third year running for Congress, while Seth Vaughn thinks you're stupid and don't care if he missed the Council's most important meeting of the year. 

Olga Negron, sole City Council
member who lives on south side

Bethlehem Mayor (unopposed)
- Bob Donchez (D)

Bethlehem City Council (4 seats) (unopposed)
- Eric Evans (D)
- John Waldron (D)
- Bryan Callahan (D)
- Olga Negron (D)

Blogger's Note  This lack of interest is a very bad sign for Bethlehem. This is precisely the kind of atmosphere in which corruption blossoms. 

Easton City Council District I  (unupposed)
- Roger Ruggles (D)

Easton City Council District II
- Terrence Miller (D)
- Jim Edinger (D)

Taiba Sultana with her husband

Easton City Council District III
- Sandra Vulcano (D)
- Taiba Sultana (D)

Blogger's Note: There is a D after Terrence Miller's name, but he's his own man. And I am delighted that someone is taking on Sandra Vulcano, who represents the very worst in politics and government. 

Allen Tp Supervisor (2 seats) 
- Al Pierce (D)
- Gerald Montanari (R)
- Bruce Frack (R)

Bangor Boro Mayor 
- Brooke Kerzner (D)
- Dave Houser (D)
- Robert Rhodes (R)

Ryan Stauffer,an attorney with Gross,McGinley, is running
for Lower Saucon Tp Council. He wants the Township
to retain its rural character 

Bangor Boro Council Ward 1 (1 seat) (uncontested primary)
- Lisa Fogel (D)
- Robert Rhodes (R)

Bangor Boro Council Ward 2 (1 seat) (uncontested)
-Michael Bilotta (D)

Bangor Boro Council Ward 3 (1 seat) (4 years) (uncontested)
- Jane Groman (D)

Bangor Boro Council Ward 3 (1 seat) (2 years)
- Robert Engle (D)

Bath Boro Mayor (unopposed)
- Fiorella Mirabito (R)

Bath Boro Council (3 seats) 
- Carol Bear Heckman (D)
- Anthony Kovalovsky (D)
- Harrell Geter (D)
- Michele Ehrgott (D)
- Michaelreph (R)

Jane Mellert is running
unopposed in Plainfield Tp

Bethlehem Tp Comm'r Ward 2 (1 seat) (unopposed)
- Michael Hudak (D)

Bethlehem Tp Comm'r Ward 4 (1 seat)
- Paul Weiss (R)
- John Merhottein (R)
- Philip Grieshaber (D)

Blogger's Note: Just two years ago, Bethlehem Township went Democratic. It's going to remain that way for at least two more years.  

Bushkill Tp Supervisor (2 seats)
- Julianne Bender (R)
- Carolyn Hill (R)

Chapman Borough Mayor and 3 Council Seats - no candidates

East Allen Tp Supervisor (2 seats)
- Joy Hemming (R)
- Brian Budraitis (R)
- Edward Heiser (R)
- Georgiann Hunsicker (R)
- Janice Buskirk (R)
- Madelyn Kemp(R)
- Eric Yocum (D)

Blogger's Note: To see seven candidates fighting over two seats surprises me. Is it the planned warehouses?

Jeff bracken in running in Wilson. "We
don't have a plan or vision," he says. "We're
in a very, very bad spot."

East Bangor Mayor (uncontested)
- Derek Powell (R)

East Bangor Boro Council (4 seats) 
- Clifford James (D)
- Susan Ruggiero (R)
- Derek Powell (R)
- Jennifer Reese (R)

East Bangor Boro Council (1 seat) (2 years) - no candidates

Forks Tp Supervisor (1 seat)
- Edward Keegan (D)
- Daniel Martyak (R)

Freemansburg Mayor
- Gerald C Yob (D)
- Donald Lasso (D)

Freemansburg Boro Council (3 seats) - no candidates

Glendon Boro Mayor and  2 Council seats - no candidates

This young man is running for President.
His grammy wants a seat on
Walnutport Boro Council

Hanover Tp Supervisor (2 seats) (uncontested)
- John Nagle (R)
- Susan Lawless (D)

Hellertown Boro Mayor (uncontested)
- David Heintzelman (D)

Hellertown Boro Council (4 seats)
- Thomas Rieger (D)
- James Hill (D)

Lehigh Tp (2 seats) (6 year terms) (uncontested)
- Michael Jones (R)
- Cindy Miller (R)

Lehigh Tp (1 seat) (4 year term)
- Cindy Miller (R)
- Phillip Gogel (R)
- Blaine Holden (R)
- Jeffrey Doll (D)

Lower Mount Bethel Tp Supervisor (2 seats)
- Sandra Newman (D)

Lower Nazareth Supervisor (2 seats)
- Gerald Green (D)
- LeRoy Bickert (D)

Lower Saucon Tp Council (2 seats)
- Ryan Stauffer (D)
- Glenn Kern (R)
- Ron Horiszny (R)

               Pen Argyl Mayor Mike Sabatine tells me he was a Sabatino,
but had to cut the "o" off his name 

Moore Tp Supervisor (1 seat)
- Randolph Emery (D)
- Lyle Woodard (D)
- Lois Kerbacher (D)
- Randy Silfies (R)
- David Shaffer (R)
- David Tashner (R)
- David Lack (R)

Blogger's Note: Obviously, something has people riled up in Moore Township. 

Nazareth Boro Mayor (uncontested)
- Lance Colondo (D)

Nazareth Borough Council Ward 1 (1 seat) (uncontested)
- David Crook (D)

Nazareth Borough Council Ward 2 (1 seat) (uncontested)
-Jessica Teel

Nazareth Borough Council Ward 3 (2 seats) (uncontested)
- Charles Donello (D)
- Charles Strye (R)

Blogger's Note: Nazareth is as goofy as ever. An admitted thief who was forced to resign as Mayor is running unopposed for a Council seat.   

Mary Ann Sofronie thinks "we can do a lot better
in Wilson." She laments the lack of new
businesses and rising taxes

Northampton Mayor
- John Yurish (D)
- Thomas Reenock (D)

Northampton Boro Council Ward 1 (1 seat) - no candidates

Northampton Boro Council Ward 2 (1 seat)
- Tony Pristash (R)
- Kathryn Novogratz (D)

Northampton Boro Council Ward 3 (1 seat) (uncontested)
- Robert McHale (R)

Northampton Boro Council Ward 4 (1 seat) (uncontested)
- Anthony Lopsonzski (D)

North Cata Boro Mayor (uncontested)
- William Molchany (D)

North Cata Boro Council (4 seats)
- Peter Paone (R)
- Mark Gioielli (R)
- Joseph Keglovitz (D)
- Cherie Gebhardt (D)
- John Yanek (D)

Palmer Tp Supervisor (1 seat)
- Ann Marie Panella (D)
- Charles Bellis (D)

Pen Argyl Boro Mayor  (uncontested)
- Mike Sabatine (R)

Pen Argyl Boro Council Ward 1 (1 seat) (uncontested)
- Brian Gold (D)

Pen Argyl Boro Council Ward 2 (1 seat) (uncontested)
- Joseph LeDonne (R)

Pen Argyl Boro Council Ward 3 (1 seat)
- Dean Minnich (D)
- Josephine Hildabrant (R)

Pen Argyl Boro Council Ward 4 (1 seat) (uncontested)
- Roberta Cowley (D)

Plainfield Tp Supervisor (two seats) (uncontested)
- Steve Hurni (R)
- Jane Mellert (R)

Portland Boro Mayor (uncontested)
- Lance Prator (R)

Portland Boro Council (3 seats)
- Steve Knott (D)
- Yvonne Gumaer (R)
- Lisa Prator (R)

Roseto Boro Mayor (uncontested)
- Joseph Angelini (D)

Roseto Boro Council (4 seats) (uncontested)
- Nick Martino (D)
- Darlene Dunbar (R)
- Peter Scarfaro (R)
- Mark Goffredo (R)

Stockertown Boro Mayor (uncontested)
- Charles Davis 

Stockertown Borough Council (3 seats)
- Carl A Zito (D)
- Robin Davis (D)
- Rosemarie Wentzelberger (D)
- Eric Wentzelberger (D)

Tatamy Boro Mayor - no candidate

Tatamy Boro Council (3 seats)
- Joseph Rago (R)
- Kristine Porter (D)

Upper Mt Bethel Supervisor (2 seats)
- Larry Hallett (R)
- Robert Teel (R)
- Jerry Geake (R)
- Frederick Farleigh (R)
- Joe Battillo (R)
- Martin Pinter (R)

Blogger's Note: Battillo and Geake are the obvious choices for anyone with a brain.

Upper Nazareth Supervisor (2 seats) (6 year term) 
- Scott Sylvainus (R)
- Robert Disbrow (R)
- Christine Garipoli (R)

Upper Nazareth Supervisor (1 seat) (2 year term) 
- Brian Pulliam (R)

Walnutport Boro Mayor (uncontested)
- Wayne Weidner (D)

Walnutport Boro Council (4 seats, 4 years)
- William Turk (R)
- Aaron Kromer (R)
- Joan Rehrig (R)
- Patrice Hunsicker (R)
- Jennifer Wentz (D)

Walnutport Boro Council (2 seats, 2 years)
- Nancy A Treskot (R)

Washington Tp Supervisor (1 seat)
- David Renaldo (D)
- Stacy Diehl (R)

West Easton Boro Mayor (unopposed)
- Dan DePaul (D)

West Easton Boro Council (4 seats)
- Dan DePaul (D)
- Paul James (D)
- Matt Dees (D)
- Jeff Breidinger (D)
- Betty-Jo Bonners (D)
- Tom Nodoline (D)
- Desiree Lake (D)
- Tricia Mezzacappa (R)

Blogger's Note: Tricia Mezzacappa continues her Quixotic quest for  a seat on West Easton Borough Council 

Williams Tp Supervisor (1 seat)
- Nathaniel Bryant (D)
- Fred Mebus (R)

Wilson Boro Mayor (unopposed)
- Don Barrett

Wilson Boro Council Ward 1 (1 seat)
- Louis Starniri (R)
- John Burke IV (D)

Wilson Boro Council Ward 2 (2 seats) (unopposed)
- Leonard Feinberg (R)
- Jefferey Bracken (D)

Wilson Boro Council Ward 3 (1 seat)
- David Jones (D)
- Mary Ann Sofronie (R)

Blogger's Note: A tax increase in Wilson has people fired up. 

Wind Gap Boro Mayor and 4 Council seats
- no Mayoral candidate
- David Valley (R)
- David Hess (R)