2023 General Election Roundup
The 2023 General Election has arrived, and the Butler Eagle is here to make sure you are prepared before you head out to cast your vote at the polls
Polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, November 7, and close at 8 p.m. the same day. If you are in line when the polls close, ensure that you stay in line to cast your ballot.
See our roundup of the most important races throughout the county below.
Longtime Republican incumbent District Attorney Richard Goldinger will face an Independent challenger, Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale, in the Nov. 7 general election, his first challenger for the seat since he was elected in 2007.
Click here to watch our election coverage video on the DA race.
SENECA VALLEY
Of the nine seats on the Seneca Valley school board, only one is contested in this November’s general election.
Jim Nickel is vacating his position as representative of Region 2 after two terms, and two newcomers are vying for his seat. Kayla Burgert will appear on the Republican ticket and Kari Zimmer will appear on the Democratic ticket.
FREEPORT
The Nov. 7 general election for Freeport Area school board is somewhat like a game of musical chairs, as six candidates are running for five seats on the board.
Board president Adam M. Toncini, first vice president Greg Selinger and board treasurer Michael J. Huth are running to retain their seats, while newcomers Dino DiGiacobbe, Sylvia R. Maxwell and Dan Ritter also are seeking four-year terms.
KARNS CITY AREA
Five of seven candidates for Karns City Area School District’s board will take seats on the nine-person board following the Nov. 7 election.
Current board president Joshua Price, vice president Brenda Ealey and member Tara Hackwelder are running for reelection. Price and Ealey cross-filed, appearing on both the Republican and Democratic tickets. Hackwelder is running as a Democrat.
SLIPPERY ROCK AREA
Three people, including two newcomers, are in the running for two open Region 1 seats on Slippery Rock Area School District’s board in the Nov. 7 general election.
A 20-year-old Slippery Rock Area High School graduate, Connor Scott, a history student at the University of Pittsburgh, and Kelly Lake, an early childhood education supervisor for Pittsburgh Public Schools, will be on the ballot alongside incumbent Mark Taylor.
MONITEAU
Six candidates running for school board in the Moniteau School District will be on the ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
With five four-year seats open, incumbents Jennifer Rottman, Mark E. DeMatteis, Kathy McBride and Brittney Beachem-Larimore are running for reelection alongside newcomers Travis Beachem and Todd Minnear.
KNOCH
In the Nov. 7 general election, seven candidates will vie for five open seats on the Knoch School Board. The incumbents hoping to retain their seats are board president Donna Eakin, William Gebhart, Justin Kovach, Debra Miller and David McRandal. The two newcomers are Tim Danehy and Jesse Scheller.
Three of the candidates — Eakin, Gebhart and Kovach — will appear on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Miller and Danehy are running on the Democratic ballot only, while McRandal and Scheller will appear on the Republican ballot only.
One incumbent, a former mayor and a member of the Butler Redevelopment Authority board of directors are running for two open seats on Butler City Council in the election Nov. 7.
While he is the incumbent candidate for the seat, this is the first time Dan Herr is running for Butler City Council, having been appointed in January 2022 to fill the unexpired term of Bob Dandoy, who assumed the role of mayor that month.
Also on the ballot are former Butler Mayor Tom Donaldson and Troy Douthett, a member of the Butler Redevelopment Authority board of directors.
Click here to watch our election coverage video on the Butler City Council race.
BUTLER TOWNSHIP
All three Butler Township commissioners whose terms are expiring this election cycle are running for reelection, in addition to one newcomer who is running for election to the role for the first time.
Commissioners chairman Dave Zarnick and commissioners Jim Lokhaiser Jr. and Joe Wiest are running for reelection in the November general election, and a resident of the Meridian area, David Rice, is running for the first time.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP
Incumbent Franklin Township Supervisor Robert Thompson and business owner Joe Schubert are squaring off in the Nov. 7 general election.
Schubert won a three-candidate race that included Thompson in the May 16 primary for the Republican nomination, but Thompson received enough write-in votes to appear on the Democratic ballot for a six-year term as supervisor.
CENTER TOWNSHIP
Three people are running for two six-year supervisor seats in Center Township in the Nov. 7 general election. Two are incumbents seeking reelection, and one is a former supervisor who wants to return to the board.
JACKSON TOWNSHIP
A Republican and a Democratic candidate are competing for a seat on the Jackson Township board of supervisors in the Nov. 7 general election.
One six-year term is available. Newcomer Christopher C. Arnold, Democrat, is running against incumbent Jay Grinnell, Republican, for the seat.
MIDDLESEX TOWNSHIP
In this November’s general election, one seat is up for grabs on Middlesex Township’s three-member board of supervisors. The incumbent, Supervisor Robert Brash, will attempt to fend off challenger David McMaster.
Neither candidate is cross-filed. Brash is running solely as a Republican, while McMaster is running as a Democrat.
BRADY TOWNSHIP
Republican Rick Hutchison and Democrat Chad J. DeCaria are competing for a six-year seat on Brady Township’s board of supervisors in the Nov. 7 general election.
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP
A Republican and a Libertarian candidate will face off Nov. 7 for a seat on the Cranberry Township board of supervisors in the general election.
One four-year term is available. Newcomer Taleb Talaat, Libertarian, is running against incumbent Karen Newpol, Republican, for the seat.
SLIPPERY ROCK BOROUGH
A mix of incumbents and newcomers will compete for four four-year seats on Slippery Rock Borough council during the general election.
Bob Bowser, Lauren A. Christmann, Jonathan Foust, John K. Hicks, Ian Oman, Jennifer Ravert and Ron Steele are set to be on the ballot in November in a near-even split between Democratic and Republican candidates.
DONEGAL TOWNSHIP
Donegal Township has a two-year supervisor seat on the ballot this election, and two candidates are running for the position.
Incumbent supervisor Michael Haid is running for reelection, and is facing a challenger in Donna Scherer.
All three Butler County commissioners are running for their third four-year terms in office in uncontested races in the Nov. 7 election.
Leslie Osche, chairman of the commissioners, and Kim Geyer won Republican Party nominations over three other candidates in the primary. Incumbent Democratic Commissioner Kevin Boozel was not challenged in the primary.
Small municipalities can be close-knit. They can also be isolated from the kind of funding larger municipalities receive. Some also see a lack of candidates during election season.
Check out our roundup of the challenges these small municipalities are facing on election day.
Check out our interview with Chantell McCurdy, Director of the Butler County Elections Bureau, on our Facebook page.
