Democratic incumbent Lackawanna County row officers swept Tuesday’s municipal election, winning in every contested row office race.
In the special election for clerk of judicial records, the only row office race featuring three candidates, appointed Democratic incumbent Clerk Lauren Bieber Mailen comfortably defended the seat she assumed in early September. Mailen earned 26,894 votes to Republican Susanne Preambo Green’s 20,115 and independent candidate Colleen Eagen Gerrity’s 15,292, unofficial election results show.
Mailen’s victory means she’ll fill the remainder of former Democratic Clerk of Judicial Records Mauri Kelly’s unexpired term running into early January 2028.
Lauren Bieber Mailen
Susanne Preambo Green
Colleen Eagen Gerrity
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Lauren Bieber Mailen
Mailen was appointed to fill the vacant position in September pursuant to a Home Rule Charter appointment process involving the county Democratic Committee and the county Court of Common Pleas. The committee subsequently chose her as the Democratic nominee in the special election, with the county Republican Committee tapping Green as the GOP nominee.
A longtime Democratic stalwart, Eagen launched her independent campaign for clerk of judicial records after the committee nominated Mailen as the Democratic candidate. She had billed herself as the “real Democrat” in the race.
“I would just really like to thank those that showed up — the Democrats really came out for us — and for all my supporters that stood by me, my family, my friends and the true Democrats in my eyes that stood by my side and didn’t give up on me,” Mailen said late Tuesday. “I really appreciate all of that.”
Sheriff
Also Tuesday, incumbent Democratic Sheriff Mark P. McAndrew handily defeated Republican Glenn Capman in the sheriff race, winning a fourth four-year term by earning nearly 71% of the vote.
Mark P. McAndrew
Glenn Capman
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Mark P. McAndrew
The contest was a rematch of the 2021 race for sheriff, with McAndrew outperforming himself from four years ago. He finished Tuesday with 44,919 votes to Capman’s 18,322.
Capman, a Lackawanna County Prison lieutenant and former deputy sheriff, earned the Republican nomination via write-in votes in the May primary.
Recorder of deeds
In the race for county recorder of deeds, longtime Democratic incumbent Evie Rafalko McNulty more than doubled Republican Sharon Soltis Sparano’s vote total, earning 42,089 votes to Sparano’s 20,799
Evie Rafalko McNulty
Sharon Soltis Sparano
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Evie Rafalko McNulty
McNulty has served as recorder of deeds since 1998 and will now serve an eighth four-year term in office. Sparano, a La Plume Twp. resident and retired pharmacist elected as Throop’s first councilwoman in 1989, was uncontested for the GOP nomination in the primary.
Register of wills
Incumbent Democratic Register of Wills Fran Kovaleski also sailed to victory Tuesday, winning a fourth four-year term by defeating Republican Vanessa Lienert of Benton Twp.
Fran Kovaleski
Vanessa Lienert
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Fran Kovaleski
Kovaleski earned 40,192 votes. Lienert, who secured the GOP nomination for register of wills via primary write-in votes, earned 20,644 votes Tuesday.
District attorney
Incumbent Democratic District Attorney Brian Gallagher was uncontested Tuesday in pursuit of a full four-year term he won with 99% of the vote.
A former first assistant district attorney, Gallagher became DA in early February, when former District Attorney Mark Powell filled a judicial vacancy and became a county judge.
Powell won a full 10-year term on the county bench Tuesday, running unopposed.
All election results are unofficial until certified by the county Board of Elections.