Election season officially kicks off Feb. 14

Some candidates have already announced, including DA race in Norco

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

The 2023 election season will officially begin next week.

Candidates for the May 16 primary can begin circulating – and filing – nomination petitions on Feb. 14.  They will have three weeks to collect signatures and turn them in. 

This is a municipal election year, meaning there will be hundreds of races in the Lehigh Valley for everything from county judges and magistrates to mayors and school board members.

Armchair Lehigh Valley will be covering the primary. We ask candidates to send us your announcements as well as photographs to armchairlehighvalley@gmail.com.

Some candidates have announced their plans to seek office.

Already there is a must-watch race in Northampton County where incumbent District Attorney Terry Houck will face Stephen Baratta, who resigned as a Northampton County Judge after 25 years on the bench to face Houck in the Democratic primary. 

That’s barring any successful petition challenge. 

Those races and other announcements gathered by Armchair Lehigh Valley are listed below. We will be updating this list as the election goes on.

You’ll also find Pennsylvania’s 2023 election calendar at the end of this post.

Northampton County

Northampton County District Attorney
Terry Houck - D - Incumbent
Stephen Baratta - D - Resigned in December as Northampton County judge after 25 years to run for DA post.

Northampton County Court of Common Pleas
Candidates can cross-file
Nancy Aaroe - R- Private attorney with Aaroe Law Offices, former assistant DA, public defender. 
Brian Panella – D - Bethlehem City solicitor and an attorney with Goudsouzian and Associates. 

Northampton County Council
District 3 – Bethlehem Township, Hanover Township, Lower Nazareth Township, Borough of Nazareth, East Allen Township, Allen Township, Borough of Northampton, and Borough of North Catasauqua.

Jeff Warren - D - former Hanover Township supervisor and former member of Easton City Council. 

Northampton County Controller*
Tara Zrinski - D – Current member of Northampton County Council; lost by 40 votes in May 2022 primary for nomination for state’s 14th Senate District.
John Cusick - R -Currently represents District 3 on Northampton County Council

*Incumbent Richard J. “Bucky” Szulborski was appointed to the position when Controller Tony Bassil died in 2021. 

Bethlehem City Council
Colleen Laird - D - community organizer

Easton
Mayor*
Peter Melan - D – current Easton City Council member
*Incumbent Sal Panto, a Democrat, has not announced plans as of Feb. 6. 

Easton Council
3 open seats
G. Kennedy “Ken” Greene - D - Easton Planning Commission member
Kenneth  Brown - D - Incumbent
David O’Connell – D – Incumbent
Frank Pintabone – D – former Easton Area School Board member
Crystal Stoneback Rose - D -member of the Easton Civil Service Board

Easton City Controller
Chris Heagele - D -Incumbent

Lower Nazareth Supervisor
Nancy Teague- D

Palmer Supervisor*

*Incumbent Ann-Marie Panella is not seeking reelection.

Lehigh County

Lehigh County District Attorney
Gavin Holihan - R - The private defense attorney was recently named first assistant district attorney by incumbent Republican Jim Martin who is not seeking reelection.

Lehigh County Board of Commissioners
Dan Hartzell - D - Incumbent
Sheila Alvarado - D - Member of LANTA board, legislative assistant to state Rep. Pete Schweyer

Lehigh County Controller
Mark Pinsley -D - Incumbent; lost in November in state’s 16th Senate District race.

Lehigh County Sheriff
Joe Hanna - R - Incumbent

Lehigh County Coroner
Daniel Buglio - D - Incumbent who was appointed to post in April 2022 after Eric Minnich resigned.

Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records*
Michelle Graupner - D - Works as clerk in office, volunteers with Lehigh County League of Women Voters
*Incumbent Andrea Naugle is not seeking reelection.

Allentown
Jeff Glazier - D - Incumbent city controller

Parkland School Board
Candidates can cross-file
Marisa Ziegler - D - Incumbent
Patrick Foose - R - Incumbent

ELECTION CALENDAR

February
Feb. 14: First day to circulate and file nomination petitions for primary ballot

March
March 7: Last day to circulate and file nomination petitions
March 8: First day for minor party candidates to circulate and file nomination papers  for November ballot
March 14: Last day to file objections to nomination petitions
March 22: Last day for withdrawal by candidates who filed nomination petitions

May
May 1: Last day to register to vote before the primary
May 9: Last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballots
May 16: Municipal primary; 8 p.m. deadline for receipt of mail-in, absentee ballots  
May 23: Last day of county receipt of military and overseas absentee ballots 

August
Aug. 1: Last day for minor party candidates to circulate and file nomination papers
Aug. 8: Last day to file objections to minor party candidate nomination papers
Aug. 8: Last day for withdrawal by candidates nominated by nomination papers
Aug. 14: Last day for withdrawal by candidates nominated at the primary

October
Oct. 23: Last day to register before the November election
October 31: Last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot

November:
Nov. 7: Municipal election; 8 p.m. deadline for county receipt of mail-in and absentee ballots
Nov. 14: Last day for counties to received military and overseas absentee ballots