Democrats skip Westmoreland County primary for row offices

The Republican register of wills and coroner will face challengers in the May primary election.

No Democratic candidates have filed to run for Westmoreland County row offices this year, further weakening a political brand that dominated the area just two decades ago.

Two Republican incumbents — newly appointed Register of Wills Jon Wian and first-term Coroner Tim Carson — face opposition in this spring’s Republican primary as the GOP seeks to tighten its hold on local politics.

Republican incumbent District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli, Clerk of Courts Megan Loughner and Prothonotary Gina O’Barto face no GOP opposition in the May primary.

Common Pleas Judge Matt Schimizzi, who was appointed to the county bench in February, is the lone candidate on the ballot this year seeking a 10-year term as judge.

“It speaks to the great work our incumbent elected officials have done that no one wants to challenge them,” Westmoreland County Republican Committee Chairman Bill Bretz said.

The county election bureau this week released the names of the nearly 400 candidates who filed nomination petitions to run for office in the May 20 primary.

Among the county office- seekers are three candidates vying for the register of wills post that was vacated last summer by three-term Republican Sherry Magretti Hamilton.

Wian, the former chief of staff to Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes, was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro in February to fill the office through the end of this year. He is being challenged by Katie Pecarchik of Hempfield, who served as acting register of wills from September until Wian took office.

Pecarchik, who worked for two decades as a clerk in the register’s office, resigned following Wian’s appointment. Former register of wills clerk Kimberly Horrell, who previously unsuccessfully challenged Hamilton, also is running for the job.

They are seeking to serve an abbreviated two-year term.

Carson of Scottdale ousted longtime Democrat Ken Bacha four years ago for coroner. Carson is facing a challenge from John Ackerman of Delmont. Ackerman worked for decades as a deputy under Bacha and briefly for Carson until he retired in 2022.

Republicans will gather Saturday in Greensburg for their annual spring convention, when Bretz said the committee will consider potential endorsements.

Democrats will sit out the primaries for county offices.

Potential longshot campaigns just aren’t enough to entice candidates, Democratic Committee Chairwoman Michelle McFall said.

“It’s been a hard couple of years,” McFall said. “We had a couple of people who were dipping their toes in about running, but folks are reading the room about what the numbers are telling them in terms of our registration, and they think they can’t win.”

After decades of being the minority party in Westmoreland County, Republicans gained a majority following the 2018 election cycle and have surged far ahead of Democrats. With more than 52% of registered voters in the county, Republicans also hold a 42,000-voter registration edge over Democrats.

Democrats will focus on state court seats and down-ballot races, including seats on municipal boards of supervisors, town councils and school boards, McFall said.

“We’re going to help to hold the line on our (state) courts and be smart about the way we use our resources,” she said.