Republicans win most races in Franklin County; Dems win seats in Greencastle, Mercersburg

Republicans won big in Tuesday's municipal election in Franklin County, but Democrats still had some wins. 

Ballots cast at the polls and counted Tuesday night heavily favored Republicans. However, mail-in and absentee ballots counted Wednesday tightened many races and even determined the outcome of a key race in Greencastle. 

Countywide, about 30.6% of registered voters turned out, according to the county's election results page. More than 30,000 people voted at the polls or via mail-in or absentee ballot. 

Here is a breakdown of the unofficial results. 

Check out our live results tracker. 

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Races in the Chambersburg area

There was a race for a seat in every ward on Chambersburg Borough Council, and Republican candidates took each one. 

In the First Ward, incumbent Allen Coffman won 53.5% of the vote. He ended up with 489 to Democrat Heidi Frye's 424.

Democrat Amer Chaudhry, who resigned from his Fourth Ward seat because his family moved, failed in his bid to get back on borough council. Republican Tom Newcomer, a former councilperson of several terms, won 59.6% of the 968 votes cast. 

Incumbent Barbara Beattie, a Democrat, received just eight fewer votes than the Republican, Dom Brown. Brown ended the night with just over 50.5% of votes. 

Republican Larry Hensley received just under 62.7% of the vote against Democrat Dennis Schmaltz. Schmaltz has been serving in the Fourth Ward seat Chaudhry vacated. 

In the Fifth Ward, Republican Weston Waytow won 59% of the vote -- 552 to Democrat Brendan Bittle's 382. 

In the three-way race for Chambersburg mayor, local business owner Kenneth "Hockey" Hock won by more than 700 votes. 

The Republican received just under 57% of the vote. Democrat Marvin Worthy ended up with 38.6% of the vote (1,541) and Libertarian James Kinton received about 4% of the vote (162).  

In Chambersburg Area School District, retired nurse Faye Gaugler and former Waynesboro superintendent Sherian Diller secured their seats in Region 1 and Region 3, respectively. Both ran unopposed, having won both parties' nominations in the primary. 

Also unchallenged, Lance Walker, who was appointed last year, won a full term in Region 4, and Edward Norcross won a third term in Region 6.

No candidates appeared on the ballot for the open seats in Region 7 and Region 8, but it appears write-in candidates will take each seat. There were 557 write-ins in Region 7 and 137 in Region 8. It will be about a week until the results are available. 

Races in the Greencastle area

Mail-in and absentee ballots made a big impact on the race for Greencastle Borough Council. 

The lone Democrat, Wade Burkholder ended Tuesday night out of the top four; however, he was the leader by Wednesday afternoon once mail-ins were counted. 

Burkholder took 465 votes, or 14.5% of the overall vote. He was followed by Republicans Albert Miller (438), Allen Marose (435) and Jan Shafer (426). 

Burkholder's additional votes pushed Andrea Rose out of the top four. 

Rose, Shafer and Miller also appeared on the ballot as Democrats, having secured enough write-ins in that party's primary. Listed that way, each received around 220 votes. 

In addition, there were 373 write-ins.

Republicans won decisive victories in the eight-person race for four, four-year seats on Greencastle-Antrim school board: 

The winners, Hal Myers, Eileen Dickinson, Rich Davis and Janon Gray each won nearly 18% of the vote while Democrats Cameron Schroy, Charles Ford, Pat Parson and Lindsey Mowen all ended up with about 7 to 8%. 

Overall, the GOP candidates won 10,707 votes to the Democrats' 4,242. 

Democrat Pat Parson also ran for the one, two-year seat. Republican Christopher Tyler Bonillas won that race with 72.5% of the vote. 

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Races in the Mercersburg area

Democrat Michael Pedersen won the race for Mercersburg mayor. He received 62.6% of the vote against the incumbent, Republican Roger Defibaugh. With 306 votes cast, including one write-in, 76 votes separated them. 

In the five-way race for four, four-year seats on Mercersburg Borough Council, Donald Stoner won the most votes with 184, or 22%. He was followed by Paul Sipes, Tim Stanton and Joseph Michael Burkot. 

Current board member Raymond Minton was left out of the top four, with 130 votes. 

As the only candidate, Stanton also won a two-year seat. It remains to be seen how the council will deal with this double win. There were a handful of write-ins altogether for both seats. 

There was no school board race in Tuscarora School District, as four candidates ran for four seats. 

Races in the Shippensburg area

There were no contested races on the ballot in Franklin County for Shippensburg-area municipal offices or school board, however, there were 910 write-ins for the open school board seat. 

Races in the Waynesboro area

Republican Dade Royer, the incumbent, won just under 62.8% of the vote against Democrat John Poniske for a First Ward seat on Waynesboro Borough Council. There were separated by 135 votes.

C. Harold Mumma and Jared Knott will keep their seats representing the Second Ward and Third Ward, respectively. 

In the race for the two-year North End seat on Waynesboro Area school board, Republican Rachel Fortney topped Democrat Kim Miles by 861 votes. 

Miles, however, was the only candidate for the region's four-year seat. She ended with 944 votes, and there were 480 write-ins.