Election Features Races for Council, School Board

Voters in the city, Bethlehem Township and the Bethlehem area will be voting Tuesday in a general election for council, commissioner and school board candidates.

In the city, three Democrats and three Republicans are vying for three open council seats.

Incumbents Robert Donchez and J. William Reynolds are joined on the Democratic side by Michael Recchiuti, who is the party nominee to replace retiring Councilman Gordon Mowrer. They are challenged by Republicans Al Bernotas, Thomas Carroll and Tony Simao.

The League of Women Voters has put together a guide here that gives you some basic information about all six candidates.

In the school board, there is a race for three at-large seats, involving five candidates – one of which, Michele Cann, is an incumbent who was nominated in both party primaries in May. There are two Republicans, Randy Toman and Kenneth Barretto, and two Democrats Basilio Bonilla and Sudantha Vidanage, who are also seeking a place on the school board in the five-way race.

There is also a race for a school board member to represent District 2, Hanover Townshp, which pits Cann, the Democratic nominee, against another incumbent, Benjamin Tenaglia, a Republican. If Cann wins two seats, the school board will have to choose its ninth member.

Eugene McKeon is running unopposed for the school board seat that represents Region 3.

Again, the League of Women Voters website has biographies and information on the school board candidates.

In Bethlehem Township, there are races for three commissioners seats.

Arthur Murphy, the incumbent for the at-large seat is being challenged by developer Martin Zawarski. in the Republican primary in May, but Murphy made it onto the general election ballot

In the First Ward, incumbent Republican Thomas Nolan is seeking his third consecutive term, and fourth overall term. He is being challenged by Democrat Nimita Kapoor-Atiyeh, a nursing home administrator and wife of controversial developer Abraham Atiyeh.

In the Third Ward, where Commissioner is retiring from public life, Republican plant manager Phil Barnard is competing with Democrat Martin Comer, a retiree.

Information about all of the township commissioners candidates is also available on the League of Women Voters website.

The polls open Tuesday at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.