Candidates Gopal Balachandran, Divine Lipscomb, and Richard Biever appear likely to secure the Democratic nominations for State College Borough Council in a tightly contested race.
According to preliminary election results as of 11:25 p.m., Balachandran leads the field of six candidates with 1,534 votes. Lipscomb,
a Penn State student, and Biever follow with 1,323 and 1,105 votes, respectively. Incumbent Katherine Yeaple boasts 1,061 votes, while Mayor Ron Filipelli and Catherine Dauler, who’s seeking her fifth term, follow behind with 894 and 808 votes, respectively.
Jacob Werner, who’s collected 466 votes so far, is the only Republican candidate running for council.
The Centre County Elections Office said it’s counted all in-person votes from its 87 precincts, but about 2,000 mail ballots remain to be counted. Processing is set to resume at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Gopal Balachandran, an assistant professor of clinical law and former public defender
Richard Biever, the owner and director of FUSE Productions and Singing Onstage
Catherine Dauler, a former borough councilwoman who served four terms and teacher
Ronald Filippelli, the current State College Mayor, former councilman and professor emeritus and dean emeritus at Penn State
B. Divine Lipscomb, a Penn State adult student and restorative justice advocate
Katherine Yeaple, a current borough councilwoman, nurse and former transportation planner.
Balachandran, Biever and Lipscomb are running as the Central PA United progressive slate. Dauler and Filippelli are running a joint campaign.
Here’s a look at how each responded to questions posed by League moderator Jennifer Nicholas, as well as their closing statements.
With mail voting underway and primary election day three weeks away, voters will have an opportunity during a forum this week to learn more about the candidates in several local races.
The League of Women Voters of Centre County will host Primary Candidates’ Night at 7 p.m. Thursday. Candidates will participate via Zoom and the forum will be broadcast live on C-NET channel 7 and online at cnet1.org.
Only candidates in opposed primaries are invited to participate in Candidates’ Night.
Following a brief welcome and explanation of the format the schedule is as follows:
7:05 p.m. Bellefonte Borough Council Ward 2 (Republican)
Centre County Can t Wait | The fight for a new kind of politics in State College | State College News psu.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from psu.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
State College will have a new mayor and at least two new borough council members in 2022, and the field of candidates in May’s primary election for those positions is now set.
Candidates had until March 9 to file nomination petitions and lots were cast for ballot positions on Wednesday morning.
In the mayoral race,
Ezra Nanes, both of whom previously announced their candidacies, are running on the Democratic ballot in the May 18 primary.
The State College mayor, who receives a salary of $13,000 a year, does not vote on any action of council, but presides over meetings and can veto or approve ordinances.