Vote: November 8, 2011

Stoudt Squeaks Past Heckman in Battle of Incumbents

Result decided by absentee ballots; tally still not official, but Heckman has conceded defeat.

Incumbent Republican Larry Stoudt defeated incumbent Democrat Thomas Heckman to retain his seat on Nazareth Borough Council, in one of the closest election races in Northampton County this year. The race for the second of two available council seats in Nazareth's "Ward 2" came down to absentee ballots, which were counted this week by the Northampton County Election Office. The county had not released official vote totals as of Thursday night, but both candidates said they were informed Stoudt had won. The final vote tally is likely to be 115-112, with Stoudt named on all five absentee ballots. The preliminary vote count on election night last week -- before absentee ballots were counted -- showed Heckman ahead by 112-110. The other council…

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Vote: November 8, 2011

Absentee Ballots May Have Changed Nazareth Council Race

According to the Express-Times, incumbent Larry Stoudt has come from behind to keep his Nazareth Borough Council seat; however, the Northampton County Election Office would not confirm or deny this report.

Nazareth councilman Larry Stoudt may have come from behind and defeated fellow incumbent Thomas Heckman, according to a report in the Express-Times. Officials from the Northampton County Election Office, however, would only confirm that five absentee ballots need to be counted for the Nazareth Borough Council Ward 2 race. According to an Election Office official, results will remain unofficial until next week, and some absentee ballots have yet to be certified -- which is why the Ward 2 results on Northampton County's website still have Heckman as the winner with 112 votes. Stoudt unofficially came in with 110 votes. Newcomer Carl Fischl, a high school teacher and lifelong Nazareth resident, received 210 votes -- unofficially -- and will …

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Vote: November 8, 2011

Absentee Ballots Could Change Race Outcome for Nazareth Council

Race for Ward 2 seat too close to call until vote totals are certified next week; one incumbent will stay, one will go.

Larry Stoudt... out? Maybe not. Incumbents Thomas Heckman and Stoudt will find out next week -- when absentee ballots will be counted -- who keeps his seat on Nazareth Borough Council next year. Due to a mere two-vote difference, the absentee ballots could change the outcome of who won the second of two available council seats in Ward 2. (The other seat was easily won by newcomer Carl Fischl, who appeared on both major party lines.) Preliminary results from Tuesday's election show Heckman, a Democrat, ahead of the Republican Stoudt by 112-110, but those figures are unofficial -- and do not include absentee ballots cast in the ward. In brief phone interviews on Thursday, both candidates seemed confused by the delay in counting absentee …

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Vote: November 8, 2011

Jacob Allen Vows to Continue Public Service After Election Loss

Jacob Allen, 19, who lost in Tuesday's election, plans school board bid in 2013.

Jacob Allen is not done with politics or public service just yet. Allen, a 19-year-old Northampton Community College (NCC) student who was appointed to the Nazareth School Board in June, will be leaving the board -- at least for now -- next month, following his loss to board President Lorin Bradley in Tuesday's election. Allen, a Bushkill Township resident and a 2011 graduate of Nazareth Area High School, shared his thoughts with Patch on his current and future plans.   1. Have you enjoyed your time on the board? Was your experience what you expected? What did you learn from the experience and what do you have to say about your fellow board members? Yes, my time on the board was an enjoyable experience that taught me a lot about what the …

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Chris Miller

1:10 pm on Thursday, November 10, 2011

I wish Mr. Allen the best. I am particulaly happy to see that he is concerned with the way the money is spent in the district. Currently we are seeing a trend nation wide of an increase in staff while there is a drop in the number of students. At the moment Pennsylvania is spending $13,000 per year per student. Home owners are now looking at increase property taxes from all local bodies of …   more ›

Northampton County Controller Wins Re-Election

Stephen Barron, elected controller for Northampton County in 2007, fended off a challenge from Republican Steve Salvesen.

Northampton County's controller has won a second term. Voters on Tuesday chose to keep Democrat Stephen Barron in office as the county's fiscal watchdog. According to unofficial results, Barron, of Bethlehem won with 54 percent of the vote, fending off a challenge from Republican Steve Salvesen, a Hanover Township supervisor. Barron received 16,816 votes to Salvesen's 13,917. Barron will become the county's first full-time controller starting next year. 

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Angle, Dowd Lose Northampton County Council Seats

Results show longtime Republican councilmen losing to newcomer Democrats in Northampton County Council race.

Ron Angle, the outspoken Northampton County councilman, has lost his seat after 12 years in office. Angle, of Upper Mount Bethel, was defeated Tuesday night by Democratic challenger Scott Parsons, the Wind Gap borough council president who had campaigned almost solely on the notion of bringing a civility to county council that he claimed Angle lacked. Parsons took home 53 percent of the vote -- 4,817 -- to Angle's 4,171. Another Republican incumbent, Easton's Mike Dowd, lost a challenge to political newcomer Bob Werner. Werner, of Easton, had focused during his campaign on improving Gracedale, the county-owned nursing home that voters had opted not to sell in the May 2011 primary.  Incumbent Councilman Lamont McClure held on to his seat in…

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Chris Miller

8:29 am on Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Ron Maybe we can figure out a way to keep you on retainer so we will at least have you there to put the budget together every year.   more ›

Vote: November 8, 2011

Meet Your Nazareth Borough Council Candidates

Helping you to make an informed decision.

Nazareth Borough Council has two seats open for election this year in Ward 2 and three candidates are running. Of those candidates, two are incumbents -- Thomas Heckman, a Democrat and chairman of the borough’s Fire Committee, and Larry Stoudt, a Republican and chairman of the borough’s Police Committee. The third candidate is Carl Fischl, a Democrat who was a write-in candidate in the May primary. Because Fischl was one of the top vote-getters on both ballots, his name will appear on the GOP and Democratic ballots in Tuesday's election. Here are the answers to your questions from each Nazareth Borough Council candidate: Thomas Heckman Larry Stoudt Carl Fischl

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