General election 2019: There are plenty of contested races in Northern Carbon County municipalities

There are challenges for seven municipal positions in four Northern Carbon County communities in the general election of 2019 that will be held on Nov. 5.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in each of the 51 election precincts in the county.

The races include two mayor’s races — in East Side and Weatherly boroughs; supervisors’ races in Banks and Packer (two) townships; and council races in Weatherly and East Side boroughs.

Otherwise, there are no challenged races in Lausanne and Lehigh townships, nor in Beaver Meadows Borough.

Banks Township

The supervisor’s race for a six-year term on the board in Banks Township is between Democrat William J. Nice and Republican Richard P. Hornick Sr.

The Banks voters will also elect someone to serve on the township’s board of auditors for six years. The lone candidate is Democrat Mary Beth Pelley.

Packer Township

Packer Township voters are scheduled to fill all three positions on the township’s board of supervisors — for two-, four- and six-year terms. In two of the three races, there are challenges.

Democrat Paul W. Bray and Republican Robert B. Selert are running for the six-year term while Democrat John Floyd Jr. and Republican Cory Gerhard are going head-to-head for the two-year term.

The lone candidate for the four-year term is Republican Terry Davis.

The Packer voters are also slated to elect a person to serve a six-year term on the township’s board of auditors but there are no candidates for the post.

East Side Borough

There are two contested races in East Side Borough, including a runoff for the two-year term as mayor. The candidates are Democrat Gerald D. Jones Jr. and Republican Louis A. Esa.

The other race is for three four-year terms on the borough council. There are four candidates for the positions, including Democrats Rudolph C. Schoch and Helen Stickinger and Republicans John P. Marotta and John Ciepel.

The East Side voters are also scheduled to fill a two-year term on the council, although there are no candidates for that position.

Weatherly Borough

There is a head-to-head challenge for the four-year term of Weatherly mayor that is slated to be filled by the electorate.

Incumbent Tom Connors and Republican Paul J. Hadzick are the candidates.

There are also a race for borough council positions. Two four-year terms will be decided. There are three candidates, including Democrat Joseph A. Thomas and Republicans Joseph M. Cyburt and George E. Miller Jr.

Beaver Meadows Borough

Four people are running for four four-year terms on the borough council in Beaver Meadows.

They are Kevin Hines, whose name appears on both of Democratic and Republican ballots, and Democrats Alfred J. Mitcho Jr., Anthony A. Rusnock and Dydyna Tranguch.

No one is running for the two-year term on the council that is also to be filled by the voters.

Lausanne Township

There is only one candidate on the ballot in Lausanne Township this year. He is Democrat Edward Klynowski, who is running for the six-year term on the township’s board of supervisors.

There is no candidate in Lausanne for the six-year term on the board of auditors that is also up for grabs.

Lehigh Township

Like Lausanne, Lehigh Township only has one candidate on its ballot. He is Republican Wayne Wagner, who is running unopposed for the six-year term on the township’s board of supervisors.

Lehigh is also slated to fill a six-year term on its board of auditors, however, there are no candidates for the position.