Primary Candidates’ Names Revealed

Nineteen people filed nomination petitions this week to run in Haverford Township’s primary election, which will include races for the Board of Commissioners, a district judge, and the Board of School Directors.

Candidates had until , to file nomination petitions with the Delaware County Election Bureau if they plan to run in the Democratic and Republican primaries on May 17. 

Third parties, or political parties other than the Democrats and Republicans, must file nomination papers by Aug. 1 if they want to run in the general election in November, said Laureen Hagan, chief clerk of the Delaware County Election Bureau.  The first day to start circulating and filing nomination papers was Wednesday, March 9. 

In the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners race, seats in all of the odd-numbered wards (Wards 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) are up for grabs.  Commissioners serve four-year terms on the board.

Only the 1st Ward will see two candidates from one political party square off in the primary.

Three candidates filed nomination petitions to run for 1st Ward commissioner:  incumbent Steve D’Emilio of Havertown, and Jon Tancredi of Havertown , who both filed their petitions as Republicans, and Tom Shiffer of Havertown, who filed as a Democrat, according to the petitions filed at the Delaware County Election Bureau.

In the 3rd Ward, incumbent Commissioner Rob Trumbull (D) did not file petitions with the Election Bureau in order to run for another term.  Jane Hall (R) of Ardmore and Jeff Miller (D) of Havertown filed nomination petitions for the 3rd Ward commissioner race, according to Election Bureau petitions.

Election Bureau files also show that petitions were filed by incumbent Jeff Heilmann (R) of Bryn Mawr and Darin Hayton (D) of Haverford for the 5th Ward race; incumbent Jim McGarrity (R) of Havertown and Larry Chrzan (D) of Havertown for the 7th Ward race; and incumbent Bill Wechsler (R) of Havertown and Patricia Loomer (D) of Drexel Hill for the 9th Ward race.

In the magisterial district judge race, there are two candidates who filed petitions, incumbent Judge Robert Burke and Philip Lozano, Election Bureau papers show. Burke and Lozano, who both reside in Havertown, cross-filed, meaning they submitted petitions to be placed on both the Republican and Democratic ballots.

The term for a magisterial district judge is six years.

Five of the nine spots on the Haverford Board of School Directors will be part of the election race.

The five school board seats currently belong to Maxine Murdoch, Lawrence Feinberg, Patricia Giambuzzi, Joseph Martin and Karen Renshaw, said Rachelle Considine, secretary for Richard Henderson.  Henderson is the business manager for the Haverford School District and also serves as secretary for the school board.

Renshaw did not file a petition with the Election Bureau to run for another four-year term on the Haverford Board of School Directors.

Four other incumbents, Murdoch of Ardmore, Feinberg of Ardmore, Giambuzzi of Havertown and Martin of Havertown, all cross-filed their petitions for the upcoming primary, according to Election Bureau petitions.

They will be joined in the Board of School Directors race by newcomers Colleen Bennett of Havertown, who cross-filed her petitions with the Democratic and Republican parties, and Matthew Kenney of Havertown, who filed his petitions as a Republican, according to the petitions at the Election Bureau.

For Haverford Township residents who plan to vote in the primary, April 18 is the last day to register to vote before the primary and May 10 is the last day to apply for an absentee ballot,  according to a handout from the state Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation, which is entitled “2011 Pennsylvania Elections Important Dates to Remember.” 

Absentee ballots must be received by the County Board of Elections by May 13.