With the 2019 municipal primary three weeks away, voters will have an opportunity at a forum this week to learn more about the candidates in several local races.
The Centre County League of Women Voters will host Candidates Night at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday in Borough Council Chambers of the State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen St.
Candidates Night is open to the public and questions can be submitted at the event, or in advance by email to lwvcentrecounty@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on Monday (April 29). Emails should indicate to which candidates the questions should be addressed.
The event will air live on C-NET (channel 7) and will be livestreamed at www.cnet1.org. It also will be televised on C-NET at 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, May 3, noon on Saturday, May 4, and 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 5.
Only candidates in opposed primaries are invited to participate in Candidates Night.
The forum is scheduled to include Republican candidates for Centre County Board of Commissioners, Democratic candidates for State College Borough Council, Republican candidates for Benner Township Board of Supervisors, and candidates for Bellefonte and State College school boards. All primary candidates in the school board races are cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican ballots.
The Republican field for county commissioner includes six candidates: incumbent Steve Dershem; former commissioners Chris Exarchos and Vicki Wedler; Rush Township Supervisor Pat Romano Jr.; Penn State student and Marion Township Supervisor Tanner Day; and Halfmoon Township resident Joe Soloski.
Voters will select two commissioner candidates each from the Democratic and Republican ballots to advance to the November election, where four candidates will vie for three seats. On the Democratic side, incumbents Michael Pipe and Mark Higgins are unopposed, so will not participate in Candidates Night.
Four State College Borough Council seats are up for election this year, with three Democratic incumbents — Jesse Barlow, David Brown and Janet Engeman — on the primary ballot. They are joined by former borough manager Peter Marshall; Penn State sophomore and former University Park Undergraduate Association liaison to borough council Tom Dougherty; Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences assistant dean Deanna Behring; and Penn State student Jackson Fitzgerald.
Former state representative Lynn Herman is the only Republican primary candidate for borough council, so will not take part in Candidates Night.
Benner Township has one supervisor seat up for election this year, with Nate Campbell and Larry Lingle seeking the Republican nomination. Thomas Kalinowski is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Five State College Area School Board seats are on the ballot this year, with all five incumbents — Amy Bader, Gretchen Brandt, Amber Concepcion, Daniel Duffy and Laurel Zydney — seeking reelection. They are joined on the Democratic and Republican ballots by Todd Baney.
Bellefonte Area School Board also has five seats up for election this year, with incumbents Kimberly Hearn, Robert Lumley-Sapanski, Rob Pacella and Donna Smith joined on the ballots by Max Kroell, Mark William Badger and Julie Fitzgerald.
Primary Election Day is May 21.
