Bill Courtright wins the Democratic primary race for Scranton mayor, with Elizabeth Randol trailing in second.
Mr. Courtright has 5,495 votes to Ms. Randol's 4,559, with 94 percent of precincts reporting. In the Republican primary, Gary Lewis led with 573 votes over Marcel Lisi, 384.
Councilman Pat Rogan, with 5,474 votes, Bill Gaughan, with 5,149 votes and Joe Wechsler, with 4,295 votes, win the three spots for the Democratic nomination for city council.
The race for the city tax collector nomination among the three Democrats is close, with Bill Fox leading with 3,349 votes to Frank Joyce with 3,219 and Tony DiBileo with 3,173.
Of Scranton's 48 precincts, four had not yet reported.
Tonight, Scranton voters nominated their party’s choice to rebuild a city in crisis, a monumental responsibility and opportunity for the winning candidates.
In the first open mayor’s race in more than a decade, Democrat Mr. Courtright won the battle for the nomination in Scranton’s dominant political party.
The winner will face in November either Gary Lewis or Marcel Lisi, who vie for the Republican nod for mayor. Mr. Lewis was leading; however, there were many Republican write-in votes.
To fill the three city council seats, Scranton Democrats chose Mr. Rogan, Mr. Gaughan and Mr. Wechsler. Tim Perry, Greg Evans and Joe Matyjevich trailed the leaders. No candidates sought the Republican nominations for council, however there was a Republican write-in campaign.
Mayor Chris Doherty and Council President Janet Evans, whose cantankerous and turbulent relationship symbolized the city’s financial plight, both declined to seek another term in office.
Last year, a dispute over the recovery plan between the city council, led by Mrs. Evans, and Mr. Doherty left Scranton unable to borrow further and the city down to its last $5,000. The mayor cut city employee wages to the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum. The two sides finally reached a deal and found financing that helped tide the city through the crisis, but the city unions are due raises the next four years as other costs keep rising, too.
The recovery plan calls for tax hikes, among other revenue opportunities that have largely not come to fruition. Any permanent solutions to the city’s chronic deficits aside from raising taxes are likely to be multi-faceted, long-term and difficult.
With Mr. Doherty, Mrs. Evans and Mr. Joyce vacating their seats, an opening appears for the next mayor and city council to rebuild Scranton’s finances and reputation.