An array of political candidates will be seeking their party's nomination when Schuylkill County voters hit the polls for the primary election May 21.
Registered Republicans and Democrats will decide nominees for municipal races, including two borough mayors and 21 borough councils, as well as the magisterial district judge in Tremont and each school district's board of directors.
Tuesday was the deadline to file nomination petitions for the primary.
Magisterial District Judge Carol A. Pankake, Tremont, is not seeking re-election. There are four candidates running for the position with a six-year term: attorney David J. Rossi; Tremont Borough Council President Laine Mack; attorney Keith Hoppes; and Tower City Mayor Daniel L. Daub.
Magisterial district judges must complete a training course prior to assuming office and attend at least one continuing education course each year.
Meanwhile, there are two races for mayor in Schuylkill County in which more than one candidate is seeking a party nominations.
The City of Pottsville has two Republican candidates for mayor: Scott R. Thomas and Phillip G. McClintock. The winner of the Republican primary will take on the only Democratic candidate, James T. Muldowney, in the General Election.
Mahanoy City Borough has two Democratic candidates running for mayor: Dennis Wiessner and Nancy A. Petritsch. There are no Republican candidates. Mayors are elected to four-year terms.
Also in Schuylkill County, there are 21 borough council races with more candidates running for four-year terms than seats available:
- Ashland: two Republicans and five Democrats running with four seats available
- Auburn: four Republicans running and three seats available
- Coaldale: three Republicans and four Democrats running and three seats available
- Cressona: three Republicans running and two seats available
- Gordon: four Republicans and a Democrat running and four seats available
- Mahanoy City: five Democrats running and three seats available
- McAdoo: three Republicans and six Democrats running and three seats available
- Middleport: two Republicans and four Democrats and three seats available
- Minersville: three Republicans and six Democrats running and four seats available
- Pine Grove: six Republicans and a Democrat running and four seats available
- Port Carbon: five Republicans and a Democrat running and four seats available
- Ringtown: four Republicans running and two seats available
- Saint Clair: one Republican and three Democrats running and four seats available
- Schuylkill Haven: five Republicans running and three seats available
- Shenandoah: two Republicans and three Democrats running and four seats available
- Tamaqua: four Republicans running and three seats available
- Tremont: two Republicans and two Democrats running and three seats available.
The City of Pottsville also has two Republicans and two Democrats running and two four-year terms available.
There are two boroughs with multiple candidates running for two-year terms on the council. Schuylkill Haven has four Republicans running for two seats while Tamaqua has three Republicans and one seat.
State primary candidates have not yet been announced.
For more information about the upcoming election, visit the Schuylkill County Election Bureau's website at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us/Offices/Election. School board races at a glance
In six school board races in Schuylkill County, more candidates are running than there are seats available.
The Blue Mountain school board has six candidates and four seats available, while Mahanoy Area has eight candidates and four seats available. In the North Schuylkill school district, there are seven candidates and five seats available, and Pottsville Area has nine candidates and four seats. Saint Clair Area has five candidates and four seats while Schuylkill Haven Area has seven candidates and four seats.
Panther Valley school board, Carbon County, has six candidates running and four seats, and Hazleton Area, Luzerne County, has seven candidates and four seats.