YORK COUNTY

Casting of lots reveals which candidates advance to the primary

York Dispatch

York County's casting of lots to determine ballot order in the May primary election revealed which candidates survived the challenge process that started shortly after the petitioning period.

The county commissioners, prothonotary and treasurer all have challengers in the 2023 primary.

Casting lots was completed by a new Board of Elections, which was appointed in February by President Judge Maria Musti Cook because the commissioners who usually serve are running for reelection. The board now consists of Planning Commission Director Felicia Dell, former Chief Clerk and Administrator Mark Derr and former Court of Common Pleas Judge Christy Fawcett.

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Among the challengers for countywide positions in York County:

Two Democrats and three Republicans are vying for the position of commissioner. Newcomer Keena Minifield's name will appear above incumbent Doug Hoke's name in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Julie Wheeler's name will be the first on the ballot for the Republican primary, followed by newcomer Scott Burford and incumbent Ron Smith.
Republican Diane Platts' name will appear on the prothonotary primary ballot above incumbent Allison Blew.
Republican Andrew Kroft's name will appear first on the ballot for treasurer, followed by incumbent Barbara Bair.

Only races with primary challengers had names drawn at Wednesday's meeting.

While Clerk of Courts Dan Byrnes had a challenger file a petition, Democrat Ryan Supler is no longer in the race. Supler's petition was challenged in the Court of Common Pleas by Cindy Hochhalter, who alleged that several signatures on Supler's petition were invalid and that Supler should be removed from the Democratic primary.

Supler said Thursday he had withdrawn from the race.

"I am grateful to everyone that circulated my nomination petitions," he said. "Thank you all for your faith in me."

In addition, while Democrat Adam Jones submitted a petition to challenge Blew for the position of prothonotary, his name was not drawn. He said Wednesday that as he is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for prothonotary, his name did not need to be drawn.

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While Sheriff Rich Keuerleber and Register of Wills Bryan Tate are up for reelection, they did not have challengers and did not have lots drawn to determine ballot order.

The meeting itself does not finalize the candidates; any candidate has the opportunity to withdraw until March 22.

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The county moved its election office, along with the Area Agency on Aging, to 2401 Pleasant Valley Road in Springettsbury Township earlier this year from its former location at the county's administrative center.

The primary election will be held May 16. The last day to register to vote in the primary is May 1; for more information, visit York County's Elections and Voter Registration website at https://yorkcountypa.gov/503/Elections-Voter-Registration.

— Reach Matt Enright via email at menright@yorkdispatch.com or via Twitter at @Matthew_Enright.