Bob Mehalick
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Bob Mehalick is an at-large representative on the Hazleton Area School District school board in Pennsylvania. First elected in 2009, Mehalick won a new term in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.
Pennsylvania permits school board candidates to cross-file in primary elections. This means that a candidate may file to run in the primary election for both the Democratic and Republican parties. A cross-filed candidate can advance to the general election by winning one or both of the partisan primaries. This maximizes a candidate’s chances of advancing to the general as they have two ways to win in the primary round. If the candidate wins only one of the primaries, they face the winner of the other primary in the general election. Cross-filers who win both primaries may still face independent candidates in the general election.[1]
Elections
2017
Four of the nine seats on the Hazleton Area School District school board were up for at-large general election on November 7, 2017. A partisan primary election was held on May 16, 2017. Board member Bob Mehalick and newcomers Linda Decosmo, Ed Shemansky, and Alexander Van Hoekelen won the four spots on the board in the general election.
Incumbents James Chapman and Mehalick, former board member Robert Childs, and challengers Decosmo, Mark Scarcella, Shemansky, and Van Hoekelen cross-filed to run in both the Democratic and Republican primary elections.[2] Mehalick, Decosmo, and Shemansky won both the Democratic and Republican primaries and advanced to the general election. Childs and Van Hoekelen also advanced to the general election. Childs advanced after winning the Democratic primary, and Van Hoekelen advanced after winning the Republican primary.[3][4][5]
General results
| Hazleton Area School District, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic/Republican |  Linda Decosmo |
23.23% | 6,770 | |
| Democratic/Republican | Bob Mehalick Incumbent |
20.29% | 5,913 | |
| Democratic/Republican | Ed Shemansky |
20.07% | 5,849 | |
| Republican | Alexander Van Hoekelen |
19.19% | 5,592 | |
| Democratic | Robert Childs | 17.22% | 5,020 | |
| Total Votes | 29,144 | |||
| Source: Carbon County, "Election Summary Report," accessed November 8, 2017, Luzerne County, "Unofficial Results," accessed November 8, 2017, and Schuylkill County, "Unofficial Results," accessed November 8, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||||
Democratic primary results
| Hazleton Area School District, At-Large Democratic Primary Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Linda Decosmo |
19.00% | 1,958 | |
| Democratic | Ed Shemansky |
15.04% | 1,550 | |
| Democratic | Robert Childs |
15.03% | 1,549 | |
| Democratic | Bob Mehalick Incumbent |
14.76% | 1,521 | |
| Democratic | James Chapman Incumbent | 14.57% | 1,501 | |
| Democratic | Alexander Van Hoekelen | 12.24% | 1,261 | |
| Democratic | Mark Scarcella | 9.04% | 932 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.32% | 33 | ||
| Total Votes | 10,305 | |||
| Source: Carbon County, "Election Summary Report: Unofficial Results," accessed May 17, 2017, Luzerne County, "Municipal Primary Election - May 16, 2017: Unofficial Results," accessed May 17, 2017, and Schuylkill County Election Bureau, "HAZLETON AREA School District Unofficial Final Results," accessed May 17, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||||
Republican primary results
| Hazleton Area School District, At-Large Republican Primary Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Bob Mehalick Incumbent |
16.57% | 1,782 | |
| Republican | Linda Decosmo |
16.42% | 1,766 | |
| Republican | Ed Shemansky |
14.94% | 1,607 | |
| Republican | Alexander Van Hoekelen |
14.25% | 1,533 | |
| Republican | Robert Childs | 14.18% | 1,525 | |
| Republican | James Chapman Incumbent | 13.77% | 1,481 | |
| Republican | Mark Scarcella | 9.53% | 1,025 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.35% | 38 | ||
| Total Votes | 10,757 | |||
| Source: Carbon County, "Election Summary Report: Unofficial Results," accessed May 17, 2017, Luzerne County, "Municipal Primary Election - May 16, 2017: Unofficial Results," accessed May 17, 2017, and Schuylkill County Election Bureau, "HAZLETON AREA School District Unofficial Final Results," accessed May 17, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||||
Funding
| 2017 Campaign Finance Deadlines in Pennsylvania[6] | |
|---|---|
| Date | Deadline |
| May 5, 2017 | 2nd Friday Pre-Primary report due |
| June 15, 2017 | 30-Day Post-Primary report due |
| October 27, 2017 | 2nd Friday Pre-Election report due |
| December 7, 2017 | 30-Day Post-Election report due |
School board candidates in Pennsylvania were required to report their campaign finance activity. Those who spent or received more than $250 in a reporting period had to file full reports. Those below the threshold had to file forms to declare they were exempt from reporting. Candidates could have, but were not required to, form committees to handle campaign finance transactions. They were not required to have separate bank accounts for campaign purposes.[7]
The table to the left details the four campaign finance deadlines in 2017.[6]
2013
Mahalick ran against Clarence John, James Chapman, Carmella Yenkevich, and Jared M. O'Donnell for four open seats on the board on November 5, 2013. Mahalick cross-filed in the May 21, 2013, primary election and won both party nominations. He went on to secure another term in the general election.
Results
| Hazleton Area School District, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Bob Mehalick Incumbent |
21.6% | 5,164 | |
| Republican | Jared M. O'Donnell |
21.5% | 5,141 | |
| Republican | James Chapman |
21% | 5,028 | |
| Republican | Clarence John Incumbent |
20.4% | 4,888 | |
| Democrat | Carmella Yenkevich Incumbent | 15.2% | 3,653 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 0.4% | 85 | |
| Total Votes | 23,959 | |||
| Source: Luzerne County Bureau of Elections, "11/5/2013 General and Municipal Elections," accessed December 16, 2013 | ||||
| Hazleton Area School District Democratic Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat | Bob Mehalick |
17.4% | 2,004 | |
| Democrat | James Chapman |
16.9% | 1,945 | |
| Democrat | Clarence John |
14.4% | 1,653 | |
| Democrat | Carmella Yenkevich |
14.2% | 1,630 | |
| Democrat | Thomas J. Chirlco | 11% | 1,263 | |
| Democrat | Jared M. O'Donnell | 14% | 1,614 | |
| Democrat | Frederick Mariano | 12.2% | 1,406 | |
| Total Votes | 11,515 | |||
| Source: Times News LLC, "Yesterday's balloting results produce change," accessed August 29, 2013 | ||||
| Hazleton Area School District Republican Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Bob Mehalick |
16% | 1,651 | |
| Republican | James Chapman |
15% | 1,544 | |
| Republican | Clarence John |
14.3% | 1,475 | |
| Republican | Jared M. O'Donnell |
15.7% | 1,618 | |
| Republican | Thomas J. Chirlco | 13.8% | 1,417 | |
| Republican | Carmella Yenkevich | 14% | 1,442 | |
| Republican | Frederick Mariano | 11.1% | 1,145 | |
| Total Votes | 10,292 | |||
| Source: Times News LLC, "Yesterday's balloting results produce change," accessed August 29, 2013 | ||||
Funding
Mehalick reported no campaign donations or expenditures to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State in this election.[8]
Endorsements
Mehalick did not receive any official endorsements for his campaign in this election.
2009
| Hazleton Area School District, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Cross-filed | Bob Mehalick |
26.1% | 6,204 | |
| Cross-filed | Clarence John |
24.9% | 5,927 | |
| Cross-filed | Steven Hahn |
25% | 5,937 | |
| Cross-filed | Carmella Yenkevich |
23.5% | 5,589 | |
| Total Votes | 23,789 | |||
| Source: Luzerne County Election Results, "Luzerne County Election Results 2011," accessed August 29, 2013 | ||||
See also
- Hazleton Area School District, Pennsylvania
- Hazleton Area School District elections (2017)
- Hazleton Area School District elections (2013)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania School Boards Association, "How to Run for School Board," accessed March 30, 2017
- ↑ Luzerne County, "Candidate Filing List (Unofficial)," accessed March 13, 2017
- ↑ Carbon County, "Election Summary Report: Unofficial Results," accessed May 17, 2017
- ↑ Luzerne County, "Municipal Primary Election - May 16, 2017: Unofficial Results," accessed May 17, 2017
- ↑ Schuylkill County Election Bureau, "HAZLETON AREA School District Unofficial Final Results," accessed May 17, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed April 19, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Campaign Finance Reporting Law," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ "Pennsylvania Department of State," "Campaign Finance Online Reporting," accessed December 19, 2013
| Hazleton Area School District elections in 2017 | |
| Luzerne, Schuylkill, and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania | |
| Election date: | Primary: May 16, 2017 General: November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-Large: Incumbent, James Chapman (D)(R) • Incumbent, Bob Mehalick (D)(R) • Robert Childs (D) • Linda Decosmo (D)(R) • Mark Scarcella (D)(R) • Ed Shemansky (D)(R) • Alexander Van Hoekelen (R) |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
