The Luzerne County Council is elected by the voters of the county. The governing body consists of eleven members. Nearly half the council is up for election every two years. It rotates between five and six seats. Each council member is elected at-large (to a four-year term). Councilors may serve no more than three consecutive terms. [1]
In the May primary, the major political parties (Democratic and Republican) select their top candidates for the general election. For example, those who place in the top five or six become the nominees of their party. Third party (or independent) candidates may also join the race. In the November general election, all political parties/candidates square off on the same ballot. Those who place in the top five or six will be elected or re-elected to council.
On Tuesday, November 2, 2010, Luzerne County adopted a home rule charter by a margin of 51,413 to 41,639. [2] [3] The following year (in 2011), the first election for the new government was held. On Monday, January 2, 2012, the previous government (the board of county commissioners) was abolished and replaced with the new form of government (council–manager government). The first members of the Luzerne County Council were sworn in that same day. The council chair, who is appointed by his or her fellow council members, is both the highest-ranking officer on the council and the head of county government for ceremonial purposes. [4] The first council chair was Jim Bobeck. [5]
The first primary elections for Luzerne County Council were held on Tuesday, May 17, 2011. Eleven Democratic nominees and eleven Republican nominees were selected in the primary elections.
|
|
The first general election for Luzerne County Council was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. The first eleven members were elected, consisting of six Democrats, four Republicans, and one independent. The first councilmen were Rick Morelli, Stephen A. Urban, Jim Bobeck, Stephen J. Urban, Tim McGinley, Edward Brominski, Harry Haas, Rick Williams, Elaine Maddon Curry, Linda McClosky Houck, and Eugene Kelleher. The top six vote getters in the general election were given four-year terms. The rest were given two-year terms. [8] The newly elected government was sworn in on January 2, 2012.
Seats after the election | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of seats | ||||
Democratic | 6 | ||||
Republican | 4 | ||||
Independent | 1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Rick Morelli | 25,026 | 5.25 | |
Democratic | Stephen A. Urban | 23,657 | 4.97 | |
Democratic | Jim Bobeck | 23,412 | 4.91 | |
Republican | Stephen J. Urban | 22,598 | 4.74 | |
Democratic | Tim McGinley | 21,654 | 4.54 | |
Democratic | Edward A. Brominski | 21,630 | 4.54 | |
Republican | Harry Haas | 21,299 | 4.47 | |
Independent | Rick Williams | 20,359 | 4.27 | |
Democratic | Elaine Maddon Curry | 19,593 | 4.11 | |
Democratic | Linda McClosky Houck | 19,375 | 4.07 | |
Republican | Eugene L. Kelleher | 18,867 | 3.96 | |
Democratic | Eileen M. Sorokas | 18,811 | 3.95 | |
Republican | John Ruckno | 18,594 | 3.90 | |
Democratic | Jane Walsh-Waitkus | 18,419 | 3.87 | |
Republican | Kathleen M. Dobash | 17,556 | 3.68 | |
Democratic | Michelle Bednar | 17,532 | 3.68 | |
Democratic | Salvatore Licata | 16,601 | 3.48 | |
Republican | Blythe H. Evans III | 16,261 | 3.41 | |
Republican | William Bill James | 15,611 | 3.28 | |
Republican | Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt | 14,723 | 3.09 | |
Democratic | M. Theresa Morcavage | 14,299 | 3.00 | |
Republican | Gina Nevenglosky | 13,849 | 2.91 | |
Republican | Michael Cabell | 12,855 | 2.70 | |
Libertarian | Michael A. Lacey | 11,108 | 2.33 | |
Independent | Jeremy Packard | 11,095 | 2.33 | |
Libertarian | Tim Mullen | 10,770 | 2.26 | |
American Independent | Charlie "Bible Buck" Hatchko | 6,309 | 1.32 | |
Libertarian | Brian R. Bergman | 3,734 | 0.78 | |
Write-in | 862 | 0.18 | ||
Total votes | 476,459 | 100 |
The second set of primary elections were held on Tuesday, May, 21, 2013. Five Democrats and five Republicans were nominated. Democrat Elaine Maddon Curry did not seek re-election.
|
|
The second general election was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. Five seats were up for election. Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck was the top vote-getter (with 18,980 votes). Eileen Sorokas and Kathy Dobash were both newly elected to council. Eugene Kelleher was the only incumbent to lose his seat in the general election. In the end, the number of seats per political party remained the same—six Democrats, four Republicans, and one independent.
Seats after the election | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of seats | ||||
Democratic | 6 | ||||
Republican | 4 | ||||
Independent | 1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Linda McClosky Houck (incumbent) | 18,980 | 10.18 | |
Democratic | Eileen M. Sorokas | 18,287 | 9.81 | |
Republican | Kathy Dobash | 17,829 | 9.56 | |
Republican | Harry Haas (incumbent) | 17,552 | 9.41 | |
Independent | Rick Williams (incumbent) | 17,226 | 9.24 | |
Republican | Sue Rossi | 17,147 | 9.20 | |
Democratic | Richard "Kick" Heffron | 16,929 | 9.08 | |
Democratic | Renee Ciaruffoli Taffera | 16,560 | 8.88 | |
Republican | Eugene L. Kelleher (incumbent) | 16,339 | 8.76 | |
Democratic | Michael Giamber | 15,345 | 8.23 | |
Republican | Paul M. Defabo | 13,586 | 7.29 | |
Write-in | 688 | 0.37 | ||
Total votes | 186,468 | 100 |
The third round of primary election were held on May 19, 2015. Six Democrats and six Republicans were nominated. Democrat Jim Bobeck and Republican Rick Morelli did not seek re-election.Democrat Robert Schnee lost the Democratic nomination, but won the Republican nomination with 384 write-in votes. Former councilman Eugene Kelleher also won a Republican nomination via write-in votes. [13]
|
|
The third general election was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2015. Six seats were up for election. In the November general election, Robert Schnee and Jane Walsh-Waitkus were both newly elected to council. Even though Robert Schnee won the election as a Republican, he would serve as a Democrat. Stephen J. Urban was the only incumbent to lose his seat in the general election.
Seats after the election | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of seats | ||||
Democratic | 7 | ||||
Republican | 3 | ||||
Independent | 1 | ||||
Note: Robert W. Schnee won the general election as a Republican, but served as a Democrat. |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Tim McGinley (incumbent) | 23,892 | 10.37 | |
Democratic | Edward A. Brominski (incumbent) | 21,066 | 9.14 | |
Democratic | Stephen A. Urban (incumbent) | 20,967 | 9.10 | |
Republican | Eugene L. Kelleher | 20,331 | 8.82 | |
Democratic | Jane Walsh-Waitkus | 20,287 | 8.80 | |
Republican | Robert W. Schnee | 19,487 | 8.46 | |
Republican | Stephen J. Urban (incumbent) | 19,117 | 8.29 | |
Democratic | John Gadomski | 18,214 | 7.90 | |
Democratic | Anthony J. Rostock | 17,661 | 7.66 | |
Republican | Marc Dixon | 17,577 | 7.63 | |
Republican | Ray Gustave | 16,491 | 7.16 | |
Republican | Mark A. Rabo | 14,898 | 6.46 | |
Write-in | 486 | 0.21 | ||
Total votes | 230,474 | 100 |
The fourth set of primary elections were held on Tuesday, May 16, 2017. Five Democrats and five Republicans were nominated. Republican Kathy Dobash and Democrat Eileen Sorokas did not seek re-election. [17]
|
|
The fourth general election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Independent councilman Rick Williams, who as an independent did not appear on any primary ballot, did not seek reelection. [19] Sheila Saidman, Matthew Vough, and Chris R. Perry were newly elected to council. [20] The Democratic majority grew from seven seats to eight.
Seats after the election | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of seats | ||||
Democratic | 8 | ||||
Republican | 3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sheila Saidman | 21,415 | 10.92 | |
Democratic | Matthew Vough | 20,393 | 10.39 | |
Democratic | Linda McClosky Houck (incumbent) | 20,380 | 10.39 | |
Republican | Harry Haas (incumbent) | 20,328 | 10.36 | |
Republican | Chris R. Perry | 20,138 | 10.26 | |
Republican | Stephen J. Urban | 19,770 | 10.08 | |
Democratic | Wendy Cominsky | 19,375 | 9.88 | |
Republican | Marc Dixon | 19,125 | 9.75 | |
Democratic | John Gadomski | 18,349 | 9.35 | |
Republican | Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. | 16,631 | 8.48 | |
Write-in | 278 | 0.14 | ||
Total votes | 196,182 | 100 |
The fifth round of primary elections were held on Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Six Democrats and six Republicans were nominated. Democrat Edward Brominski, who was up for re-election that year, resigned in January due to health issues. [22] By February, the council appointed Patrick Bilbow to serve out the remainder of his term. [23] Republican Eugene Kelleher, also up for re-election in 2019, resigned in August. His seat was filled by Rick Morelli, who did not seek election to a full term. [24] Democrat Stephen A. Urban did not seek re-election.
Only four Republicans appeared on the ballot, the other two nominations were secured via write-in vote. Lee Ann McDermott had 454 write-in votes, and Councilman Robert Schnee received 417 write-in votes. Because Schnee had also won a Democratic nomination, he became the only candidate in council history to appear on the November ballot as both a Democrat and a Republican. [25]
|
|
Following the November 5 general election, the balance of power shifted for the first time in council history with Republicans securing the majority. Republicans Lee Ann McDermott, Walter Griffith, and Kendra Radle were newly elected to council. Former Republican Councilman Stephen J. Urban, who lost his seat four years earlier, was also elected. Incumbent Democrats Patrick Bilbow and Jane Walsh-Waitkus lost their seats. Although Schnee secured both the Democratic and Republican nominations in 2019, he was sworn in as a Democrat. [28]
Seats after the election | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of seats | ||||
Republican | 6 | ||||
Democratic | 5 | ||||
Note: Robert Schnee secured both Democrat and Republican nominations, but was sworn in as a Democrat. |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic/Republican | Robert W. Schnee (incumbent) | 28,588 | 11.02 | |
Republican | Lee Ann McDermott | 25,752 | 9.93 | |
Republican | Walter L. Griffith Jr. | 24,314 | 9.37 | |
Republican | Stephen J. Urban | 24,246 | 9.35 | |
Democratic | Tim McGinley (incumbent) | 23,909 | 9.22 | |
Republican | Kendra M. Radle | 22,950 | 8.85 | |
Democratic | Joseph C. Sebastianelli | 22,622 | 8.72 | |
Democratic | Patrick M. Bilbow (incumbent) | 22,263 | 8.58 | |
Democratic | Anup K. Patel | 21,575 | 8.32 | |
Democratic | Jane Walsh-Waitkus (incumbent) | 21,483 | 8.28 | |
Republican | Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. | 20,931 | 8.07 | |
Write-in | 727 | 0.28 | ||
Total votes | 259,360 | 100.00 |
The sixth round of primary elections were held on Tuesday, May 15, 2021. Five Democrats and five Republicans were nominated. Democrat Linda McClosky Houck and Republican Harry Haas were prevented from running again due to term limits. [30]
|
|
The sixth general election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. Incumbent Democrats Sheila Saidman and Matthew Vough were defeated for re-election. Republicans swept all contested seats in the election; the party's majority grew to 10. Democrat Robert Schnee had previously change his affiliation to Republican in June 2020. Councilman Tim McGinley was left as the only Democrat on council. [30] Incumbent Councilman Walter Griffith, who was not up for re-election, was elected as county controller in 2021. He remained in his council seat until the end of the year. [24] He was replaced by Carl Bienias III in February 2022. [33]
Seats after the election | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of seats | ||||
Republican | 10 | ||||
Democratic | 1 | ||||
Note: Robert Schnee switched from Democrat to Republican in June 2020. |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John Lombardo | 31,314 | 12.00 | |
Republican | Chris R. Perry (incumbent) | 30,296 | 11.61 | |
Republican | Brian Thornton | 28,787 | 11.04 | |
Republican | Kevin Lescavage | 27,280 | 10.46 | |
Republican | Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. | 26,610 | 10.20 | |
Democratic | Matthew Vough (incumbent) | 25,622 | 9.82 | |
Democratic | Sheila Saidman (incumbent) | 24,600 | 9.43 | |
Democratic | Jane Walsh Waitkus | 22,704 | 8.70 | |
Democratic | Jimmy Sabatino | 22,433 | 8.60 | |
Democratic | Maryann V. Velez | 20,530 | 7.87 | |
Write-in | 674 | 0.23 | ||
Total votes | 260,850 | 100.00 |
The seventh round of primary elections were held on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Six Democrats and six Republicans were nominated. Republican Robert Schnee resigned after winning a special election for state representative. He was replaced by Matthew Mitchell in June 2022. [35] Republican Kendra (Radle) Vough did not seek re-election. [36] [37] Democrat Tim McGinley was term limited and prevented from running again; he was the last remaining inaugural member on the council. [36] Republican Carl Bienias III lost re-nomination. [38]
|
|
The seventh general election took place on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Incumbent Republicans Stephen J. Urban and Matthew Mitchell lost re-election.
Seats after the election | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of seats | ||||
Republican | 7 | ||||
Democratic | 4 | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Lee Ann McDermott (incumbent) | 28,356 | 8.93 | |
Democratic | Jimmy Sabatino | 28,176 | 8.87 | |
Democratic | Joanna Bryn Smith | 27,993 | 8.82 | |
Democratic | Patricia Krushnowski | 27,018 | 8.51 | |
Republican | Harry Haas | 26,878 | 8.46 | |
Democratic | Brittany Stephenson | 26,429 | 8.32 | |
Democratic | Michelle Rothenbecker | 25,651 | 8.08 | |
Democratic | Maryann Velez | 24,322 | 7.66 | |
Republican | Thomas Dombroski | 24,035 | 7.57 | |
Republican | Stephen J. Urban (incumbent) | 24,024 | 7.57 | |
Republican | Matthew Mitchell (incumbent) | 23,701 | 7.46 | |
Republican | Kimberly Platek | 23,459 | 7.39 | |
Write-in | 3,759 | 1.18 | ||
Total votes | 317,560 | 100 |
The eighth general election for Luzerne County Council will take place in November 2025. The primary is scheduled for May 2025. There will be five Democratic nominees and five Republican nominees. The seats currently held by John Lombardo, Chris R. Perry, Brian Thornton, Kevin Lescavage, and Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. are up for election.
The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore. It has 14 members elected by district and a president elected at-large; all serve four-year terms. The council holds regular meetings on alternate Monday evenings on the fourth floor of the Baltimore City Hall. The council has seven standing committees, all of which must have at least three members. As of 2022, the president receives an annual salary of $131,798, the vice president gets $84,729 and the rest of councillors receive $76,660. The current city council president, Nick Mosby, was sworn on December 10, 2020.
The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, in the middle of Democratic President Barack Obama's first term. Republicans ended unified Democratic control of Congress and the presidency by winning a majority in the House of Representatives and gained seats in the Senate despite Democrats holding Senate control.
The 2010 New York state elections took place on November 2, 2010. Due to the special election for US Senate, all of New York's six statewide offices were up for popular election on the same date. At the same time, all 29 members from New York of the U.S. House of Representatives, all 212 members of the New York State legislature, and many other local officials were elected.
John T. Yudichak is an American politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for 14th District from 2011 to 2022. He previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 119th district from 1999 to 2010. In 2024, Yudichak became the eighth president of Luzerne County Community College.
Stephen Anthony Urban is an American politician and former military officer who served as a commissioner of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2012 and later as a member of the Luzerne County Council from 2012 to 2020.
Tarah C. Toohil is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2011 to 2021. She is currently a judge on the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
The 2012 New York state elections took place on November 6, 2012. These elections included the 2012 presidential election, an election to one U.S. Senate seat, and elections to all 27 New York congressional seats, all 63 seats in the New York State Senate, and all 150 seats in the New York State Assembly.
The biennial Charlotte mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. Primary elections were held on Tuesday, September 10, 2013. Unaffiliated voters were allowed to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary.
The 2017 United States elections were held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. This off-year election featured gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as state legislative elections in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the Virginia House of Delegates. Numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local elections also occurred. Special elections were also held for one seat of the U.S. Senate, representing Alabama, and six seats of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrats picked up the governorship in New Jersey and the Alabama Senate seat that was up for a special election. The governorship in Virginia and the six House seats that were up for special elections did not change party hands.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on April 26.
The 1955 Philadelphia municipal election, held on Tuesday, November 8, involved contests for mayor, district attorney, all seventeen city council seats, among other offices. Citywide, the Democrats took majorities of over 130,000 votes, continuing their success from the elections four years earlier. Richardson Dilworth, who had been elected district attorney in 1951, was elected mayor. Victor H. Blanc, a city councilman, was elected district attorney. The Democrats also kept fourteen of seventeen city council seats, losing one district seat while gaining another, and kept control of the other citywide offices. The election represented a further consolidation of control by the Democrats after their citywide victories of four years earlier.
The Luzerne County Council is the governing body of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The council meets at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre. There are eleven members on the assembly. The chair is both the highest-ranking officer on the council and the head of county government for ceremonial purposes. When the group is not in session, the officer's duties often include acting as its representative to the outside world and its spokesperson. The current chair is John Lombardo.
The 2024 United States elections are scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. During this presidential election year, the president and vice president will be elected. In addition, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be contested to determine the membership of the 119th United States Congress. Thirteen state and territorial governorships and numerous other state and local elections will also be contested.
The 2022 elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were held on November 8, 2022, with all districts currently being decided. The term of office for those elected in 2022 began when the House of Representatives convened in January 2023. Pennsylvania State Representatives are elected for two-year terms, with all 203 seats up for election every two years.
Mayoral elections in Irvine, California, are held every two years.
The 2022 Indiana Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, with elections in the U.S. state of Indiana, coinciding with other elections in the state, U.S. House, and Indiana House, as well as various other state and local elections. Voters elected members to 25 of the 50 seats in the Indiana Senate to serve four-year terms in single-member constituencies. The primary election took place on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The Republican Party had held a majority since 2011.
The 2015 Kentucky Secretary of State election was held on November 3, 2015, to elect the Secretary of State of Kentucky. Primary elections were held on May 19, 2015. Incumbent Democratic Secretary Alison Lundergan Grimes narrowly won re-election to a second term against Republican nominee Steve Knipper.
Robert Schnee is an American politician who was elected to serve as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 116th district on April 5, 2022.
The 2023 Virginia Senate election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, concurrently with elections for the Virginia House of Delegates, to elect senators to all 40 seats in the Senate of Virginia for the 163rd and 164th Virginia Assembly. Nomination primaries held through the Department of Elections were held June 20, 2023. These were the first elections held following redistricting as a result of the 2020 census. The Democrats retained control of the Senate.
Alec Joseph Ryncavage is an American businessman and politician. He is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 119th District since 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)