Republican voters in Manheim Township appeared to be choosing the party ticket as the best bet to retake control of the townshipâs board of commissioners.
With all precincts reporting the in-person vote, endorsed Republican candidates John Bear, Stacey Morgan Brubaker and Mary Jo Huyard held large leads over unendorsed challengers Anthony Marcavage and Michael Loeven for nominations for three four-year seats.
An estimated 2,300 to 3,500 mail-in ballots remained to be counted in the township as of press time.
A fourth endorsed Republican, incumbent Donna DiMeo, had no GOP opponent for a two-year seat and won the partyâs nomination.
If they prevail in the primary, Bear, Morgan Brubaker and Huyard will square off in the fall against three endorsed Democrats â incumbents Tom OâBrien and Carol Gifford, and real estate investor Stella Sexton â who were unchallenged in their partyâs primary.
Both parties face contested primaries for the Manheim Township Board of Commissioners in Lancaster Countyâs largest suburb.
Republican voters will choose among five candidates who are competing for nominations for three seats with four-year terms.
In November, the three GOP nominees will face three Democrats who are unchallenged in their partyâs primary.
Democratic voters do, however, have a decision to make in the primary on a two-year seat. Two Democratic candidates are vying for nomination for that position, and the winner will face a Republican who is unchallenged in the primary.
The final winners will be determined when the two parties go head-to-head in the November general election. Hanging in the balance is the ideological direction the board will take over the next several years.
Tags
COMMENTING: Our Opinion section is a platform for community members to discuss and debate shared concerns and solutions. This dialogue is vital to the health of our community. We encourage you to participate in the discussion created by our âletters to the editorâ section. You can submit a letter to the editor by clicking here, and you can read letters submitted to us by clicking here. You also can join the conversation on our social media platforms.
Manheim Township voters on both sides of the political aisle will face choices when they head to the polls on May 18 to pick their nominees for township commissioner in the politically competitive suburb.
Democrats and Republicans each face contested primaries this year, with party-endorsed candidates facing challengers. Creation of a county health department and how to manage growth and development are among the issues the candidates are discussing.
The township â the countyâs largest municipality outside of the city â sat firmly in Republican control for years. But demographic changes have led to increases in Democratic registration, and in 2019 the party took control of the five-member board, where it now holds a 4-1 majority.