A district magistrate from the Abingtons virtually assured he will become a Lackawanna County judge after capturing both the Democratic and Republican nominations in Tuesday's primary.
With 93 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Magisterial District Judge James Gibbons seized the most Democratic and Republican votes in the race, totalling 15,202 of the 40,183 votes cast and catapulting him over four other candidates vying to become the newest member of the county bench.
"It's a culmination of a lot of work and the realization of a dream - a dream shared by my entire family," Judge Gibbons, 55, said at his victory party at Mert's bar in downtown Scranton. "I've received tremendous support from up and down the valley. I've got people here tonight from Carbondale, Jessup, Peckville, Moosic and Scranton."
The other candidates were: Alyce Hailstone Farrell, 45, a magisterial district judge in Scranton; P. Timothy Kelly, 54, a Scranton attorney; Patricia Rieder, 46, a special hearing master in county court; and Donna Davis Javitz, 52, a Dickson City attorney.
The post opened up after Senior Judge Chester Harhut moved from full-time to part-time duties because he reached the state's mandatory retirement age, 70.
The job pays $173,271 this year and is a 10-year term.
Since all of the candidates cross-filed as Republicans and Democrats, the primary could have seen one candidate pick up the Republican nomination and another candidate collar the Democratic nomination, setting up a competitive general election.
With Judge Gibbons capturing both nominations, he will more than likely sail to victory in November unless a third party candidate mounts a challenge or someone organizes a well-executed write-in campaign.
Contact the writer: smcconnell@timesshamrock.com, @smcconnellTT on Twitter
Lackawanna County Judge
Democratic
James A. Gibbons 11,408
Alyce Hailstone Farrell 7,685
Patti Grande Rieder 7,577
P. Timothy Kelly 2,760
Donna Davis Javitz 1,926
Republican
James A. Gibbons 3,794
Alyce Hailstone Farrell 2,147
Patti Grande Rieder 1,669
P. Timothy Kelly 659
Donna Davis Javitz 509