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Two MASD Directors Lose Re-Election Bids
White Oak, city will have new faces on council
By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
November 08, 2023
Posted in: Politics & Elections
Two incumbent McKeesport Area school directors appear to have lost their bids for re-election.
Complete but unofficial returns from the Allegheny County elections bureau showed current school directors James Brown, a Democrat, in sixth place, and Joe Lopretto, a Republican, in seventh place. Five seats were up for re-election.
Mark Holtzman, who was cross-filed, led the field with 3,534 votes, followed by Jason “Shun” Pavlecic (cross-filed), Diane Elias (cross-filed), Matthew Keller (Democratic) and David Seropian (Republican).
Brown was caught up in a minor scandal in the closing weeks of the campaign, when he was accused of using a homophobic slur in an argument with a resident at the August school board meeting. He and other members of the board apologized for the incident.
McKeesport will have one new member of city council in January. Democrat Amber Webb won election to the seat currently held by Councilman Tim Brown, who did not seek re-election.
Voters also returned Democrats Keith Soles, Richard Dellapenna and LuEthel Nesbit to office. There were no Republicans running for city council and 80 write-ins.
More than 2,500 votes were cast in the city.
McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko, who was running unopposed, received 2,314 votes. There were 216 write-ins.
In White Oak, where three seats were available on borough council, Democrat George Pambacas won re-election, leading the field with 1,386 votes, followed by incumbent Republican Chuck Davis and Democrat Amanda Leckman DePaulis.
Trailing were Republican Donald Hultberg, Democrat Brian D. Dinkfelt and Republican Dean Dittmar. There were 9 write-in votes, county officials said.
Few other school board or council seats were contested, with several smaller municipalities having no candidates for elected offices. In Versailles Borough, Linda Sheedy and Greg Davis Sr. were the only two candidates running for three open seats on borough council. There were 103 write-in votes, county officials said.
In Duquesne, where two city council seats were available, Councilman Derek Artim was the only registered candidate. Artim, a Democrat, was appointed to council to fill a vacant seat and has now been elected to a four-year term of his own. There were 186 write-ins.
In North Versailles Twp., Louise Beswick — who won both the Democratic and Republican nominations for Ward 3 commissioner in the May primary — received 377 votes. There were 18 write-ins. She will replace current Ward 3 commissioner Allen Wagner.
Originally published November 08, 2023.
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