Most incumbents keep seats

Anne Danahy

A Democratic incumbent and Republican newcomer, with opposing views on some issues, won the two supervisor seats in a competitive race in Harris Township, according to unofficial results.

CDT/Nabil K. Mark

Dianne McDonald gives Andrei Israel his "I voted" sticker after he casts his ballot at Precinct 19 South 1 in the Knights of Columbus building in State College. Tuesday, November 3, 2009 is election day in Centre County. CDT/Nabil K. Mark

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Incumbent Dennis Hameister and Paul Rittenhouse defeated Republican Fred DiMuccio and Democrat Bruce Lord in a race that drew attention to the township’s efforts to encourage developers to include affordable housing in future plans.

Supervisors, including Hameister, previously approved a zoning amendment that lets builders include less open space in some developments in exchange for including work-force housing. Rittenhouse had been sharply critical of those efforts.

In Rush Township, longtime incumbent Pat Couturiaux, a Democrat, beat back a challenge from Republican Rob Bailey for a supervisor seat in that western Centre County municipality. Couturiaux has been an outspoken supporter of a Lancaster County company’s effort to build a municipal waste landfill and industrial park in the township.

Bailey said earlier this year that he didn’t like how the company, Resource Recovery LLC, went about getting township support for the project.

Other municipalities across Centre County had competitive races for borough council and supervisor, among them Philipsburg and Howard.

In Howard, four incumbent council members held onto their seats, defeating three challengers. But incumbent Mayor John C. “Jackie” Williams Jr., a Democrat, lost to Republican Ralph Fravel.

In Philipsburg, there were 271 write-in votes in the race for four Borough Council seats — a larger number of votes than were received by all but two of the seven candidates.

Democrat Barbara A. Gette and Republican David Dixon appeared to be the top vote-getters, with 357 votes and 274 votes, respectively, followed by Harry C. Wood and Michael Wilks, both Republicans. The large number of write-ins, however, could change the outcome of that race.

In College Township, incumbents David Koll, a Democrat, and Forrest Remick, a Republican, held on to their seats, beating Republican Andrew Sicree, according to unofficial results.

In Ferguson Township, William Keough was elected, along with former supervisor Republican George Pytel, apparently defeating Democrat Stephen Foster. Foster, a civil engineer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, has been away on duty.

In Halfmoon Township, Democratic incumbent Ben Pisoni appeared to have defeated Republican Ronald Servello.

All results are unofficial until they are certified by county elections officials.

Anne Danahy can be reached at 231-4648.