See who won and who lost school board races

Moms for Liberty sees 4 nomination wins in Norco, Republican newcomers sweep many GOP ballots.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

In school board races across the Lehigh Valley, cross-filing incumbents, used to sealing up their November victories in the primary, struggled to win on both ballots with some being ousted altogether. 

Of six candidates backed by Moms for Liberty - Northampton County, four won spots on the Republican ballot in their districts. One of them, Cindy O’Brien, won nominations for an at-large seat and one in Region 3 in the Bethlehem Area School Board. 

Meanwhile, slates of Republican newcomers rode to victory on Republican ballots, fueled by voter furor over coronavirus policies, tax hikes, falling academics, a perceived lack of transparency and diversity programs. 

They failed to gain ground with Democratic voters – thus setting up a near identical list of candidates running against each other in November in many districts.  

With majority control at stake on many boards, the results promise the November election will be just as feisty – especially since independents and others will be able to have their say in the outcome.  

Here is a look at unofficial results in the Lehigh Valley. Northampton County’s results are listed as not fully reported. 

ALLENTOWN – FIVE SEATS

All five Democratic candidates ran unopposed and thus are likely winners in November.  Incumbents Andrene Brown Nowell, Evelyn J. Santana and Audrey Mathison ran on the Democratic ticket with Ana T. Tiburcio and Zaleeae Sierra. Brown, Mathison and Santana also were on the Republican ballot. 

BANGOR AREA  – FIVE SEATS
Two incumbent Republicans, Toni E. Lynch and Zachary Miller, lost their chance for reelection. Lynch was only on the Democratic ballot after being removed from the Republican ballot over a nominating petition challenge. Miller failed to place in the top five on both ballots. All other candidates are Republicans except for Courtney Gilmour, who won a spot on the Democratic ballot.  Incumbents Michael Goffredo and Christopher Marozzi wons spots on the Democratic ballot.

DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Annamarie T. Robertone - 422
Michael Goffredo - - 540
Courtney Gilmour - 551
Colleen Schiavone - 757
Toni E. Lynch - 422
Tanya Peifly - 635
Zachary Miller - 457
Christopher Marozzi -717

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Robertone - 682
Marozzi - 1,063
Peifly - 879
Goffredo  - 1,018
Smith - 970
Schiavone - 762
Gilmour - 410
Miller - 641

BETHLEHEM AREA – FIVE SEATS
Highlights: Republican Cindy O’Brien, who was endorsed by Moms for Liberty - Northampton County, picked up two Republican nominations. One of her wins was for the at-large seat, where she was the only candidate. She will face incumbents Emily Root Schenkel, Karen Beck Pooley and M. Rayah Levy for three at-large seats. O’Brien’s other win was in Region III where she faced incumbent Democrat Kim Shively, who won the Democratic nod in the district, and Republican Anthony Gentile.  

At Large – Three seats
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Cindy A. O'Brien - R - 4,479
Emily Root Schenkel -  6,814
Karen Beck Pooley - 7,042
M. Rayah Levy - 5,055

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
O'Brien - R - 3,415

Region 2 - One seat
Michael Recchiuti - D -  incumbent
Ran unopposed on both ballots

Region 3: One seat
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Kim Shively - 2,813
O’Brien -  R – 1,165
REPUBLICAN BALLOT
O’Brien -  R - 1,033
Shively  D - incumbent - 494
Anthony M . Gentile - R - 430

CATASAUQUA AREA – FIVE SEATS
Only two candidates ran, Democratic incumbents Lauren Cieslak and Jillian Emert, and both cross-filed. Barring write-ins and third party candidates, the district could very well have to appoint members in December. 

EASTON AREA – REGIONAL SEATS
In the only primary battle, Michael Simonetta, the school district’s former chief operating officer, bested incumbent Democrat Edward Keegan on both ballots in Region 3, giving him a likely win in November. On the Democratic ballot, Simonetta posted 1,016 votes to Keegan’s 988. On the Republican ballot, Simonetta tallied 679 to Keegan’s 304. In Region 1, incumbents Jodi Hess, a Democrat, and Bill Whiteman, a Republican, ran unopposed for two seats. Democrat Ghennifer Zando-Dennis was unopposed in Region  2. 

EAST PENN – FIVE SEATS
Republicans Paul Barbehenn, Kristofer DePaolo, Lawrence Huyssen, Matt Mull and Angelic Schneider, who ran as a slate under the name Your Voice on the Board – captured all five nominations on the Republican ballot. Spots on the Democratic ballot were won by a bipartisan slate of Board President Joshua Levinson, a Democrat, board Vice President Jeffrey Jankowski, a Republican, Democrats Shonta Ford and Gabrielle Klotz and Republican Tim Kelly. The race heavily played out on Facebook where Your Voice candidates and groups opposed to them traded assertions about each other’s motives.

DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Joshua Levinson - 3,940
Paul Barbehenn -  472
Angelic Schneider - 1,041
Shonta Ford - 3,617
Kristofer DePaolo - 522
Timothy Kelly - 2,924
Lawrence Huyssen - 373
Jeffrey Jankowski - 3,152
Brian Wessner - 1,858
Matt Mull - 538
Gabrielle Klotz - 3,683

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Barbehenn - 3,481
DePaolo - 3,340
Levinson -1,288
Schneider - 3,426
Mull - 3,462
Jankowski - 1,347
Huyssen - 3,081
Klotz - 973
Kelly - 1,176
Ford - 821

NAZARETH AREA — REGIONAL SEATS
Republican voters picked two out of three candidates endorsed by Moms for Liberty - Northampton County to run in November. Elmo Frey Jr., a former long-time district magistrate, and Melissa Gladstone won the Republican nomination for two seats in Region 1. They will face Jeff C. Greener and Sariann L. Knerr, two of three Democrats who ran. The other Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidate is Thomas McElroy. He lost to board President Gregory C. Leh, a Republican who cross-filed and was the only incumbent running in Region 3. His victory on both ballots was a rare win for Lehigh Valley incumbents. Jason M. Swails was the third Democrat, who picked up the Democratic nomination in Region 2. 

DEMOCRATIC BALLOT 
Region I - two seats
Jeff C. Greener - 491
Sariann L. Knerr - 561

Region 2 – one seat 
Christopher G. Miller-  442
Jason M. Swails - 482

Region 3 – one seat 
Gregory C. Leh - 631

REPUBLICAN BALLOTS
Region 1 –two seats
Melinda G. Gladstone - 344
Sariann L. Knerr - 146
Elmo L. Frey Jr. - 532
Erin Ferguson - 259
Jeff C. Greener - 136

Region 2 – one seat
Jason M. Swails - 164
Christopher G. Miller - 608 

Region 3 – one seat
Gregory C. Leh - 257
Thomas McElroy - 193

NORTHAMPTON AREA
In the Region 2 Republican primary, William G. Jones Jr., who was backed by Moms for Liberty - Northampton County, defeated incumbent Republican Michael Baird. Baird won on the Democratic ballot, however, meaning the two will go head-to-head in November. Anthony Maniscalco, a second endorsed Moms for Liberty candidate, failed to gain traction in Region 3. In Region 1, incumbents John Becker, the only Democratic candidate, and Robert Mentzell, a Republican, won on the Democratic ballot for two seats but lost on the Republican ballot. They will face Marc Kercsmar and Kristin Lorah-Soldridge on the Republican ballot. In Region 3, incumbent David Gogel, who is board president, and Brian McCulloch won on the Democratic ballot. McCullough also won the Republican spot; Joshua Harris won the second Republican nomination.  McCulloch, Kercsmar, Lorah-Soldridge, Harris and Jones ran as a slate. 

Region 1 - Two seats
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT 
Marc Kercsmar - 320
John Becker – 667
Robert Mentzell - 604
Kristin Lorah-Soldridge - 560

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Kercsmar - 684
Becker - 450
Mentzell - 370
Lorah-Soldridge - 836

Region 2
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Michael Baird – unopposed

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Michael Baird - 320
William G. Jones Jr. – 388

Region 3 - Two seats

DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
David Gogel - 486
Brian McCulloch - 332
Joshua Harris - 317
Anthony Maniscalco - 183

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Maniscalco 385
Harris - 736
Gogel - 380
McCulloch - 545

NORTHERN LEHIGH – SIX SEATS
All candidates are Republicans. Angela Williams was the only non-incumbent who won a nomination (Democratic) for one of the five, four-year terms. Incumbent Gale N. Rhonda Frantz ran unopposed for a two-year term.

DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Gale N. Husack - 473
Angela Williams - 423
Mathias Matt Green - 418
Glenn A. Williams - 380 

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Donna M.  Kulp - 370
Williams - 318
Robert L.  Kern Jr - 478
Natalie S. Snyder - 377
Green - 341
Williams - 332
Husack - 397

NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH – FIVE SEATS
All of the candidates are incumbent Republicans who ran unopposed for reelection and cross-filed except for John Casciano. The other incumbents are: Willard Dellicker, Todd Leiser, Joseph E. Fatzinger and Rachael L. Scheffler. 

PEN ARGYL – REGIONAL SEATS
Republican Debra Mouisset, who was endorsed by Moms for Liberty - Northampton County, failed to win a spot on the Republican ballot in Region 3. Incumbent Republican Lisa Hackman, who is board president, was unopposed in Region 1 for a four-year seat. She also defeated Democrat Thomas Knorr on the Democratic ballot for a two-year term, 115 to 96, clearing the way for a November victory for two seats. Incumbents Jason Keenhold, a Democrat, and John Dally, a Republican, were unopposed on both ballots for two seats in Region 3. Incumbent Jeff Moyer, a Republican, lost on the Democratic ballot but won on the Republican ballot in Region 2.

Region 2: – Two seats
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Nancy O'Keefe - 254 
Joseph Colosi - 121
Jeff Moyer - 175 
Robert C. Rutt - 215

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Rutt - 334
Mouisset 304
Jeff Moyer 325

PARKLAND – FIVE SEATS
Republicans Michael Deering, Beth Finch, Natalie Janotka, Bobby Lanyon and George Rivera, who ran on a slate called “Elevating Excellence in Parkland,” won all five Republican spots for the four-year terms. Republican Mike Millo, who was also part of the group, won the Republican nomination for the two-year term. Incumbent Republicans Carol Facchiano and Lisa Roth and Democrats Jay Rohatgi and Marisa Ziegler won the Democratic ballot for the four-year term. They were joined by Democrat Christopher Pirotta. Patrick Foose, a Republican who has been outspoken about transparency and spending, lost both ballots. Millo and Rohatgi will face each other for a two-year seat.

DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Lisa A. Roth - 2,588
Patrick H. Foose - 780
Laura Warmkessel - 756
Jay Rohatgi - 3,599
Bobby Lanyon - 383
Marisa Ziegler - 3,751
Joanne Dillman - 2,210
Christopher Pirrotta - 3,125
George Rivera - 491
Natalie Janotka - 597
Mike Millo - 621
Michael Deering - 378
Carol L Facchiano - 2,347
Beth Finch - 690

REPUBLICAN BALLOT VOTES
Rohatgi - 1,030
Millo - 1,213
Ziegler - 961
Foose - 835
Lanyon - 2,505
Deering - 2,501
Warmkessel - 904
Finch - 2,564
Roth - 1,236
Janotka - 2,314
Rivera - 2,332
Facchiano - 1,129
Pirrotta - 805

Two-year term votes – one seat
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT VOTES
Facchiano - 1,251
Millo - 465
Roth - 856
Rohatgi - 2,292

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Rohatgi - 495
Facchiano - 621
Millo - 2,621
Roth - 529

SALISBURY – FIVE SEATS
Five candidates ran unopposed on both ballots. They included incumbent Republicans Carol A. Klinger, Joseph S. Kuzo and Thomas P. Spinner, incumbent Democrat Sarah Nemitz and newcomer Republican Joseph Gaither. 

SAUCON VALLEY – FIVE SEATS
Republicans Susan Baxter, Shawn Welch and Bryan Eichfeld, and Democrats Michael Karabin and Laurel Erickson-Parsons – all incumbents – won all five spots on the  Republican ballot. Democrats Bill Broun, Donald L. Carpenter III, Vivian Demko and Jay Santos, who ran as a slate called Saucon School Board Choices for Change, won the top four spots on the Democratic ballot. Erickson-Parsons placed fifth on the Democratic ballot, making her the only incumbent to win both party nominations. 

DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
Erickson-Parsons - 761 
Eichfeld - 331 
Baxter -751 
Broun - 972 
Santos - 1,093
Welch - 318 
Karabin - 501
Carpenter - 953 
Demko - 1,355

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Santos - 347 
Eichfeld - 752 
Welch - 703 
Demko - 468 
Karabin - 730
Broun - 290 
Baxter - 825 
Geyer - 629
Erickson-Parsons - 667 
Carpenter III - 327

SOUTHERN LEHIGH – FIVE SEATS
Republican ballot winners were Paul Deebel, Lance M. Tittle, Danelle Roy, Maria L. Schantz and James Pica, who all signed a pledge that, among other measures, vowed to order a review of transgender policies on their first day in office. Democratic ballot victors were Republicans Eric Boyer, Timothy Kearny, Candi Kruse, Emily Gehman, the only incumbent who ran, and Democrat Melissa Torba. Boyer, Kearny, Kruse and Gehman were supported by Southern Lehigh Community Partners, a group that said the election was important because new board members will make decisions that will have lasting impact on school infrastructure, staffing, curriculum and safety. 

DEMOCRATIC BALLOT 
Kruse - 1,688
Boyer - 1,650
Deebel - 292
Pica - 265
Kearney - 1,687
Gehman - 1,789
Torba - 1,895

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Tittle - 1,831
Roy - 1,867
Pica - 1,776
Kearney - 587
Boyer - 555
Torba - 411
Schantz - 1,812
Deebel - 1,829
Kruse - 475
Gehman - 556

WILSON AREA – REGIONAL SEATS
Incumbent Democrats Judith A. Herbstreith and Johnathan Jones ran unopposed in Region 3 for two seats. Herbstreith was the lone candidate on the Republican ballot. In Region 1, Democrat incumbent Janis E. Krieger and Republican Linda Ann Baskwell were unopposed on both ballots for two seats. In Region 2, incumbents Jeffrey L. Breidinger, a Democrat, and Holly Waugh, a Republican, fended off a challenge on the Republican ballot by Annelle DiSanto, who was backed by Moms for Liberty - Northampton County. The two were unopposed on the Democratic ballot.

WHITEHALL-COPLAY — FIVE SEATS
In Whitehall-Coplay, incumbents Nicole Hartman and George Makhoul, both Democrats, and Republicans Patty D. Gaugler, an incumbent, Seth Kubat and Fady Salloum ran unopposed on the Democratic ballot. Kubat and  Salloum were voted off  the Republican ballot, giving Republicans William Groller and LoriAnn Fehnel a shot in November. 

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
Gaugler - 700
Kubat - 432
Salloum - 401
Makhoul - 595
William Groller - 767
LoriAnn Fehnel - 594
Hartman - 684

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Bethlehem Area School Board candidate Michael Recchiuti’s political party. He is a Democrat.