Mercer commissioner gets the most votes

MERCER, Pa. -- The lone incumbent commissioner was top vote-getter in the Democratic primary for Mercer County commissioner, and a former commissioner's chief clerk won the other Democratic spot on the November ballot.
First-term commissioner Brian Beader won 27 percent of the vote with 96 percent of precincts counted at press time.
Kenneth Ammann was second with 21 percent of the vote.
On the Republican side, John Lechner and Atty. Lewis McEwen appeared to be top vote-getters with 30 percent and 29 percent respectively, with 96 percent of the vote counted.
Lechner is a former Pennsylvania State Police officer who now is an administrator at Westminster College. McEwen served as Mercer County solicitor for eight years as well as solicitor for Mercer and Reynolds schools.
McEwen said he had emphasized economic development and the need for commissioners to have a strong chief clerk in order to free commissioners to do long-range planning.
The other candidates could not be reached at press time.
The top four vote-getters will face one another in November, with three of them gaining commission seats.