Michael Williams (Pennsylvania)
Michael Williams was a candidate for at-large representative on the Scranton School District school board in Pennsylvania. Williams was defeated in the at-large primary election on May 16, 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 seats on the Scranton School District school board in Pennsylvania were up for at-large general election on November 7, 2017. A partisan primary election was held on May 16, 2017.
Board incumbents Robert Casey, Mark McAndrew, and Bob Sheridan cross-filed to appear on both the Democratic and Republican primary election ballots. Challengers Barbara Dixon, Katherine Gilmartin, Kevin O’Shea Sr., Christopher Phillips, and Michael Williams also cross-filed to run in the primary. Challengers Joseph Matyjevich, Chantal Rich, and Robert Waldeck filed to run as Democrats in the primary. Gilmartin, McAndrew, and Dixon won both Democratic and Republican nominations and advanced to the general. Casey won the fourth Democratic nomination, and Phillips won the fourth Republican nomination, and both moved on to the general.[2]
Upon moving out of the county, Phillips' name was removed from the general ballot. He was replaced by Republican candidate Frank Torquato. In the general election, Gilmartin, McAndrew, Dixon, and Casey defeated Torquato to win election.[3] O'Shea's name did not appear on the primary ballot, and although Cynthia Baldwin originally filed for the race, she withdrew her candidacy on March 29, 2017.[4][5]
These candidates could have faced independent candidates in the general election. However, no independent candidate filed by the August 1, 2017, deadline to get on the ballot.[6]
Democratic primary results
| Scranton School District, At-Large Democratic Primary Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Katherine Gilmartin |
17.80% | 4,557 | |
| Democratic | Mark McAndrew Incumbent |
14.85% | 3,803 | |
| Democratic | Robert Casey Incumbent |
13.81% | 3,535 | |
| Democratic | Barbara Dixon |
10.41% | 2,664 | |
| Democratic | Christopher Phillips | 10.07% | 2,578 | |
| Democratic | Michael Williams | 9.40% | 2,406 | |
| Democratic | Bob Sheridan Incumbent | 8.45% | 2,163 | |
| Democratic | Robert Waldeck | 6.81% | 1,743 | |
| Democratic | Joseph Matyjevich | 5.68% | 1,453 | |
| Democratic | Chantal Rich | 2.53% | 647 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.21% | 54 | ||
| Total Votes | 25,603 | |||
| Source: Lackawanna County, "Official Municipal Primary Election Results," accessed June 21, 2017 | ||||
Republican primary results
| Scranton School District, At-Large Republican Primary Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Katherine Gilmartin |
19.00% | 1,172 | |
| Republican | Mark McAndrew Incumbent |
16.57% | 1,022 | |
| Republican | Barbara Dixon |
13.35% | 823 | |
| Republican | Christopher Phillips |
12.84% | 792 | |
| Republican | Robert Casey Incumbent | 12.18% | 751 | |
| Republican | Michael Williams | 12.16% | 750 | |
| Republican | Bob Sheridan Incumbent | 10.41% | 642 | |
| Write-in votes | 3.49% | 215 | ||
| Total Votes | 6,167 | |||
| Source: Lackawanna County, "Official Municipal Primary Election Results," accessed June 21, 2017 | ||||
Funding
| 2017 Campaign Finance Deadlines in Pennsylvania[7] | |
|---|---|
| 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.[8]
The table to the left details the four campaign finance deadlines in 2017.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania School Boards Association, "How to Run for School Board," accessed March 30, 2017
- ↑ Lackawanna County, "Unofficial Municipal Primary Election Results," accessed May 16, 2017
- ↑ The Times-Tribune, "Scranton School Board candidates to face tough decisions," October 15, 2017
- ↑ The Times-Tribune, "School board candidate withdraws from race," March 29, 2017
- ↑ Lackawanna County, "NOVEMBER 7, 2017 UNOFFICIAL MUNICIPAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS," accessed November 8, 2017
- ↑ Lackawanna County, "Department of Elections," accessed October 25, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed April 19, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Campaign Finance Reporting Law," accessed January 15, 2014
| Scranton School District elections in 2017 | |
| Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania | |
| Election date: | Primary: May 16, 2017 General: November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-Large: Incumbent, Robert Casey (D) • Incumbent, Mark McAndrew (D)(R) • Incumbent, Bob Sheridan (D)(R) • Barbara Dixon (D)(R) • Christopher Phillips (R) • Michael Williams (D)(R) • Kevin O’Shea Sr. (D)(R) • Katherine Gilmartin (D)(R) • Joseph Matyjevich (D) • Robert Waldeck (D) • Chantal Rich (D) • Frank Torquato (R) |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
