Luzerne County Democrats will select local party committee members in May 19 primary election

Luzerne County Democrats will select local party committee members in the May 19 primary election.

County party committee seats — one male and one female — are up for grabs in each of the county’s 186 voting precincts.

A primary function of these 372 committee members is to select a county Democratic Party chairperson in June.

Kathy Bozinski was chosen as party chair following the 2022 committee member election. Thomas Shubilla took over the chairmanship in July 2023, following Bozinski’s resignation to accept a state position. Shubilla resigned as chair last November following an executive committee no-confidence vote, and Mary Ann Petyak was named the new chair in December.

Petyak said Wednesday she has not made a final decision on whether she will seek the chairmanship when committee members convene at the party’s reorganization meeting June 10.

Since her appointment to the leadership post, Petyak said she has focused heavily on “stabilizing and building the party” and “moving us forward.”

She fulfilled a major goal by establishing a new county Democratic party headquarters at 146 S. Pennsylvania Ave. in Wilkes-Barre, across from Holy Redeemer High School.

Petyak said she has also focused on fundraising and organizing volunteers to support candidates.

The local committee members do more than choose a party chair, she said.

They support party candidates and participate in activities organized within their districts, she said. There are six party districts in the county, and the committee members also select the district chairs.

Approximately 40 men and 38 women filed paperwork to appear on the primary election ballot seeking four-year committee seats, meaning many precinct ballots will have no listed candidates.

Party leaders are encouraging party voters to run write-in campaigns for committee seats with no candidates on the ballot.

“It’s tough because there is a lot of apathy. We’re hoping to break through that apathy and get more people involved,” Petyak said.

If no interested party members surface through write-ins, the party can appoint members to fill vacancies, she said.

Only two local committee races have competition for a seat, according to the county’s candidate listing.

In Duryea Borough’s Ward 2, James A. Steer and Jonathon Paul Kamor are running for the ward’s committeeman seat.

Two candidates — John G. Dean and Justin Mirilovich — are seeking the committeeman seat in Fairview Township’s District 1, it said.

The proclamation listing all committee seats and candidates is posted in the county Election Board’s Wednesday meeting agenda at luzernecounty.org.