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With multiple contenders in primary, party regulars like voters deciding on their own.
Luzerne County’s Democratic Party won’t endorse a prothonotary or judge candidate for the May 19 primary because there are multiple contenders.
The party’s executive committee also decided Monday night to endorse Dottie Stankovic for county register of wills and Bob Morgan for county controller. Neither faces Democratic opposition in May.
Seventeen people are running for three judge seats – 15 Democrats and two Republicans. Voters from both party tickets will have a say in which will appear on the November ballot because all 17 contenders cross-filed on both party tickets.
Three candidates will compete for the Democratic prothonotary nomination: Alfred Akulonis, Nancy McGinley Bellas and Gerald J. Mullery.
Several party members say they support the lack of endorsements.
“There’s no sense in dissecting them now. Let the people decide who they want. Why should 50-some people decide which judge candidates the party’s going to endorse?” Stankovic said.
Commissioner Greg Skrepenak, also a Democrat, said he agrees. “I think to be fair and impartial, we should let it open. I think that’s the right decision.”
Skrepenak said Stankovic deserved the endorsement because she has performed well and is the incumbent.
The Democratic Party has typically endorsed incumbent county row officers in primary election races, though past organization chairman Joe Mazur successfully pushed for no endorsements in 2005 because he didn’t get along with then-incumbent candidates Stankovic and controller Steve Flood. Stankovic fended off her opponent, but Flood lost to Maryanne Petrilla.
Stankovic, who is seeking a fifth term, has also rejected the party endorsement in the past because she didn’t like the party’s direction, but she said Tuesday that the party has changed under the leadership of Mark Bufalino.
“He’s doing a fabulous job,” Stankovic said. “He’s keeping the executive board members up to date and having regular meetings, which we never had before.”
Meanwhile, the county’s Republican Party’s executive committee voted earlier this month not to endorse county candidates in the primary election. The committee decided to leave the selection up to committee people throughout the county.
“We realize that people from all parties and at all levels are tired of important decisions being made by a select few,” party Chairman Terry Casey said in a media release. “For years it seemed as though the role of a committee person was insignificant. This sets out to change that.”
Two Republicans are competing for the prothonotary nomination – Carolee Medico Olenginski and Walter Mitchell. Five Republicans are in the controller race: Edward Brominski, Alice B. Coffman, Walter Griffith, Nanda Palissery and Robert Sypniewski.
Gina Nevenglosky is running unopposed on the Republican ticket in the register of wills race.