It looks like Magisterial District Judge David Engman will be seeking re-election with no Democratic challenger and Bradford Township incumbent Supervisor Steve Mascho will see a contested race in the fall.
That’s the latest word from the McKean County Department of Voter Registration and Elections which is continuing to tally up the votes cast in the May 16 primary election.
“We’re just trying to finalize the write-ins,” McKean County Elections Director Dinah Gallegos said on Wednesday. “My goal is to have it done June 2.”
Any ties would be broken by what’s known as casting lots. At this point, though, she said there doesn’t appear to be any ties.
Thus far, Engman secured both the Democratic and Republican nominations to run as a magisterial district judge, appearing to beat out Tyler R. Hannah.
Unofficial results reveal that Engman received 292 votes to Hannah’s 288 on the Democratic ballot, and on the Republican ballot, Engman garnered 480 votes and Hannah, 399.
Engman is seeking a second, six-year term in the office serves Kane and Mount Jewett boroughs and Hamilton, Hamlin, Lafayette and Wetmore townships.
Engman has served five years as district judge, eight years as deputy sheriff, two years as a correctional officer, three years working as a logger, is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and spent three years working in a saw mill as a teenager.
For Bradford Township supervisor, incumbent Republican Steve Mascho will face a challenge from Robert M. Burrell, who will appear as a Democratic candidate on the ballot in the fall. Burrell, who ran against Mascho as a Republican, received 13 write-in votes on the Democratic ballot. Burrell only needed 10 to make the ballot, Gallegos said.
On the Republican side, Mascho received 153 votes; John Vinelli, 108; Burrell, 70; and Henry Spencer, 23.
Mascho is a self-employed lease driver who also does some landscaping work. A lifelong resident of the Bradford area and 31-year resident of Bradford Township, Mascho is finishing his second term as supervisor. He is also on the planning committee.
Burrell is a lifelong resident of Bradford Township and a graduate of Bradford Area High School. He graduated from Olean Business Institute with a business degree and from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor of arts degree.
Burrell retired from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania after more than 33 years of service and from the U.S. Postal Service after more than four years of service. He has been self-employed for 40 years managing his rental properties.
Elsewhere in McKean County, write-in candidates will dominate the Otto-Eldred school board selections in November.
For a four-year seat on Region I, Richard Rivers received 20 write-in votes on the Republican ticket. Marlene Lang garnered 113 votes on the Republican ballot and 31 votes on the Democratic ticket for a two-year term in Region 1.
With Region II, Maureen W. Raught and Jeannine Gray waged write-in campaigns. Raught received 31 votes and Gray, 29 votes, both on the Republican ballot. Both women will appear on the November ballot for four-year terms.
Meanwhile, incumbent Lisa Beaver received 66 Republican votes to appear in November for a two-year term. For Region III (Eldred Borough and west side of Ceres Township), incumbent Keith Cousins garnered 14 Republican write-ins. He is seeking a four-year term.
