See who’s running to be state Democratic, Republican committee members
Read full list of Lehigh Valley candidates
In the May 17 primary, voters in each county in Pennsylvania will also elect members to the state Republican and Democratic committees.
The number of candidates varies by county, and counties have different rules to select committee members, who set the direction for the party statewide and endorse candidates. They serve four-year terms.
Lehigh County Democrats
Voters will elect seven members to the Democratic State Committee. The three female and three male candidates with the highest votes will be elected, with the seventh member having the next highest number of votes.
Candidates on the ballot are Carmen A. Bell of Allentown, Jamie Johnson of Fountain Hill, Matt Lo of Allentown, Dave Harrington of Lower Milford Township, Aidan Levinson of Upper Milford Township, Danielle Schackelford of Allentown, April Riddick of Allentown, Murat Guzel of Lower Macungie Township, Yamelisa Taveras of Allentown, and Lori McFarland of Upper Milford. Bell, Shackelford, Riddick, Guzel and McFarland presently serve on the state Democratic Committee from Lehigh County.
Lehigh County Republicans
Voters will also select seven members to the Republican State Committee, but from a mix of district and countywide candidates.
Two candidates each will be selected from District 1 and District 2 and three will be elected by voters countywide.
District 1 candidates are Donna Daday and Bob Daday, both of Allentown. Bob Daday presently serves on the state committee.
District 2 candidates are Sean Gill and Bernadette Comfort, both of Upper Macungie Township. Comfort serves on the state committee.
At-large candidates are Blake Marles of Lower Macungie Township, Andy Roman of Whitehall Township, Glenn Eckhart of Salisbury Township and Linda J. Swankoski of North Whitehall Township. Marles presently serves on the state committee.
Northampton County Democrats
Voters will select six candidates - three male and three female. The eight candidates running for state committee members are Sandra O’Brien-Werner of Easton, Kristin M. Volchansky of Lower Saucon Township, Alexander Bryan Altieri of Bethlehem Township, Michael H. Laws of the city of Bethlehem, April Niver of Easton, Jeff Kennedy Faubert of Lower Saucon, Victoria Opthof-Cordaro of Lower Saucon , and Leslie M. Altieri of Bethlehem Township. O-Brien-Werner, Bryan and Leslie Altieri, Laws and Niver are committee members.
Northampton County Republicans
Voters will elect seven members to the Republican State Committee.
Candidates are Debra A. Biro of Upper Nazareth Township, Linda Gerenser Stubits of Upper Nazareth Township, Matthew Flower of Moore Township, Beverly Hernandez of Palmer Township, Margie Mandell of Moore Township, Katharina Morea of Bushkill Township, Melanie Heilman of the city of Bethlehem, Andrew Azan III of Bethlehem Township, Annette Kuyan of Hanover Township, Kristin Soldridge of Lehigh Township, Jimmy Zumba of Bethlehem Township, John Brown of Bangor, Gloria Lee Snover of Bethlehem Township, Richard Morea of Bushkill Township, Craig L. DeFranco of Roseto, Steve Lynch of Northampton, Gerald L. Pritchard of Lehigh Township, Joseph G. Moyer of Lower Mount Bethel Township.
Brown, DeFranco and Stubits presently serve on the state committee.