Three Wyoming Area incumbents appeared to hold onto their seats Tuesday and are set to be joined by one newcomer, according to preliminary election results published by Luzerne and Wyoming county officials.
Wyoming Area school board members David Alberigi, Joseph Kopko, and Erica Gazda, finished first, third, and fourth in the general elections Tuesday, each securing reelection. (The top four-finishers in the race won election to the school board.)
The trio are set to be joined by Anthony Burke, a graduate from the Wyoming Area class of 2005 and an Army veteran, who served 3 1⁄2 years in active duty, including a tour in Iraq from 2007 to 2008.
Anthony Burke (courtesy of Anthony Burke)
The second-place finisher, Burke campaigned on a student-wellness and fiscal responsibility platform, arguing Wyoming Area has fallen short in protecting students from bullying, promoting student achievement, and offering families relief after years of tax hikes.
“We need someone who will fight for you – the parents and the students,” Burke said on Facebook during the campaign. “If elected, I will work tirelessly to make Wyoming Area a place where students feel safe, supported, and successful – and where families can afford to stay and thrive.”
David Alberigi (Chris Doyle/Staff Photo)
Alberigi, who emphasized his connections to the community as a local business owner and his accessibility, finished first with 3,690 votes across Luzerne and Wyoming counties. Burke finished just behind with 3,678, followed by Kopko at 3,601 votes. All three had won Democratic and Republican nominations in the May 20 primary and so appeared on both major party tickets.
Gazda, who won only a nomination to the Democratic Party ticket, finished fourth with 3,316 votes across Luzerne and Wyoming counties. John Bonin, a frequent volunteer and official in a litany of community and sports organizations, won only with the Republican nomination and won a total of just 2,909 votes.
Erica Gazda (courtesy Erica Gazda)
The difference in the contest between Bonin and Gazda, as it was between Republicans and Democrats elsewhere in Luzerne County, came down to mail-in votes. Gazda led her GOP counterpart by 649 votes with mail-in ballots, coming in at 1166, which Bonin’s 232-vote lead over Gazda on Election Day votes could not surmount.
The results are preliminary and uncertified. They could be subject to change as provisional ballots or ballots otherwise not yet canvassed are taken into account.