Forward Township write-in votes favor DeRosa

By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com

The unofficial results, including write-in votes, have now been posted by the Allegheny County Election Division, with final certification expected next week.
With the write-in ballots tallied in Forward Township it appears as if Tom DeRosa captured both the Democratic and Republican nominations for the six-year term for township supervisor. DeRosa had run unopposed on the Democratic ticket and there weren’t enough Democratic write-in votes to affect that race. Jayme Stoffer had run unopposed on the Republican ticket and received 157 votes. There were 164 Republican write-in ballots cast, with 160 votes going to DeRosa in the unofficial count, giving him both nominations. DeRosa said he hadn’t been notified of the victory by the Allegheny County Election Department as of Wednesday afternoon, but would accept the nomination once notified.
Stoffer said the department confirmed that she had lost by three votes when she called the office.
“I’m not going to do any type of challenges or recounts,” Stoffer said.
DeRosa said he was surprised by the number of write-in votes he received. This is only the second time since DeRosa was first appointed to the board 26 years ago that he had faced opposition at the polls.
“I guess the mine was a big issue in that election,” DeRosa said, referring to a proposed coal mine seeking to have conservation land in the township rezoned to permit mining.
DeRosa said a hearing for the zoning change request had been set up for June 24, but the company, Coronado Coal, responded that it wasn’t prepared for a June 24 hearing.
“They’re supposed to get back to us with a more concrete date,” DeRosa said.
The write-in count may also affect ballots in other area communities.
Elizabeth Borough
In Elizabeth Borough, with the write-ins taken into consideration, it appears as if the ballot will show four candidates for four seats: Democrats Chad Rager and Dana Cress and Republicans Cole Buchina and Charles Smith. Only Rager and Cress had filed to appear on the primary ballot.
Elizabeth Twp.
In Elizabeth Township, it will be Democrat Kyle Walk unopposed in Ward 2, and Democrat Kevin Cunningham against Republican Joshua Michael Walls in Ward 4 in November. In Ward 6, it will be Democrat Rob Rhoderick against Republican Christian Thoma in November.