Two Contested Races Highlight Local Primary Election in Plum, Oakmont

A light voter turnout is expected Tuesday for the Pennsylvania Primary Election, which includes state judges, a number of county positions and, locally, school board, district judge and borough council seats.

Allegheny County Elections Manager Mark Wolosik is predicting that 28 percent of registered Democrats and 28 percent of registered Republicans will vote in their respective primaries.

Locally, there are only two contested races as a number of candidates seek their party's nominations for the fall General Election—Plum School Board and Plum Council. In a number of races, candidates are virtually assured a position on the fall ballots.

Patch will provide complete election coverage of the results once the polls close Tuesday. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information before voting, click on Patch's Election 2011 tab at the top of this page. Voters who have questions or need assistance on Primary Election Day should call the county elections office at 412-350-4500.

Here are the races and candidates:

Plum School Board

Plum School Board has five open seats with twice as many contenders. Incumbents Tom McGough and Loretta White will run again, along with newcomers Jim Rogers, Marcia Chicka, Ruth Pastore, John St. Leger, Richard Zucco, Bill Ferguson, Joe Tommarello and Richard Filar. All candidates are cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican tickets.

Plum Council

Three seats are available on Plum Borough Council for next year.

Democratic incumbents Steven "Skip" Taylor and Christine Scardina-Gazzo will take on four contenders — Donald Knopfel, Michael Guida, Paul Dern and Lori Churilla. The candidates have split into two blocs, with half supporting a proposed development center in Renton and the other half opposed to the effort.

Incumbent Scardina-Gazzo supports the development and is running a joint campaign with Churilla and Dern. All three are endorsed by the Plum Borough Democratic Committee. Incumbent Taylor opposes the development and is campaigning with Guida and Knopfel. Regardless of the alliances, the primary nominations will go to the top three vote-getters.

Four Republican candidates are vying to represent their party in November's election for the three Plum Council spots. All are newcomers—Christopher Kozub, Christopher Zozula, Paul DeSabato and John Anderson. Economic development chairman Charles McMeekin is not seeking reelection.

District Judge

District Justice Linda Zucco is running unopposed and has cross-filed on both the Democratic and Republican tickets.

Riverview School Board

Five seats are up for grabs on Riverview School Board, and just five citizens are seeking office. The incumbents are Heidi Dolan, who has cross-filed on both the Republican and Democratic tickets, and David Kadylak, who is running only as a Democrat. Both are running for their second terms. Also on the ballot are newcomers Ernie Tillman and Maureen McClure, who have both cross-filed, and Lois Vitti, who is running as a Democrat.

Oakmont

The Oakmont Borough Council race will have three Republicans and two Democrats vying for the three open seats. Incumbent Republicans Tim Favo, council president, and John Donovan will take on the Democrats in the fall with newcomer Republican Elena Colianni.

Council Vice President Nancy Ride and newcomer Donna Tessaro are running on the Democratic ticket.

Allegheny County Council District 7

Both Plum business-owner Mike Dell (R-Plum) and incumbent Nick Futules (D-Oakmont), owner of the Harmar House, are unopposed on their party's ticket for the District 7 spot on Allegheny Council in November. District 7 includes parts of Plum, Oakmont, Penn Hills, Verona, Cheswick, Springdale, Harmar and Wilkins.

Dell currently serves on Plum Borough Council as finance committee chairman. Futules heads the county's parks committee.

For more information on Allegheny County races, click For more information on the state court races, click