Area voters will go to the polls starting at 7 a.m. on Tuesday to cast ballots on a number of races in northern Blair County communities.
In Tyrone, voters will be choosing between councilman Bill Fink and youth leader Jim Kilmartin in the Republican primary for mayor.
The winner will likely be Tyrone’s next mayor since no one entered the race on the Democratic side. Either man would be unopposed on the November ballot unless a write-in candidate would enter the race in the fall. Tyrone’s current mayor, Patricia Stoner, won her first term as a write-in candidate in 1997.
Many northern Blair candidates have placed advertising in The Daily Herald to get the word out about their candidacy.
The race for mayor heated up over the weekend with a letter submitted by Mayor Stoner regarding Fink that was published in Saturday’s edition of The Daily Herald. Fink responded to the mayor’s comments with a letter of his own which was also published on Saturday.
Mayor Stoner also recently took out an advertisement to list the achievements of the borough during her years in office. The advertisement endorses three current council members to retain their seats and Kilmartin to assume the mayor’s chair. Council members Virgie Werner, Jim Grazier and William Latchford are seeking reelection.
Councilman Don Boytim, who was appointed to serve on council late last year, is seeking a two-year elected term. The term covers the unexpired portion of former councilman J.R. Watson. An appointee to Tyrone’s council is required to run for the unexpired term at the next possible general election after his or her appointment.
In addition to Fink’s quest for mayor, three other Republican candidates have joined with him, as part of “Team Tyrone,” to seek two of the three available four-year terms and the two-year term on council.
Jay Young and Sarah Jane Miller are seeking the four-year terms while Brian McManigal is seeking the two-year term. William Jones, Sr. had to drop out of the race for a four-year term due to health reasons, however his name remains on Tuesday’s ballot.
Also seeking council positions in Tyrone are Democrats Edward L. Isenberg and Dan Meckes and Republican Mark Kosoglow.
In another local race, voters in the Tyrone Area School District will be casting ballots for school board directors. Current members Brian L. Bressler, William P. Hartsock and James Crawford are seeking votes on both the Democratic and Republican Ballots while candidate Amy Stever is running on both tickets to seek one of the four available four-year terms.
