Unofficial election results minus absentee ballots

Just what we asked yesterday. The election is not yet decided. Wonder why some candidates concede so early on? Also, factor in provisional ballots, which have to be determined within a certain period as well, might add a dozen or more votes in a tight race, with the potential of one lone vote throwing the win to the next candidate!

And what about the write-in votes cast at the polling place using the electronic voting machines - those should be tallied as well, just in case an effort was mounted behind the scenes to write-in candidates as occurred in Allegheny County.

All valid votes should be recorded and counted, no exceptions.

The vote totals do not include absentee ballots.

Cavanagh looks back on gamble that ended in defeat
By Amy Zalar, Herald-Standard
05/17/2007
Updated 05/17/2007 12:04:29 AM EDT
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Former Fayette County Commissioner Sean M. Cavanagh said Wednesday he knew he risked losing out on a Democratic Party nomination when he teamed up with Vincent Zapotosky. But Cavanagh said he doesn't regret the tactical move because he didn't want to spend the next four years serving in office with Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites.


In Tuesday's election, Zapotosky and Vicites secured the party's two nominations, while Cavanagh finished in third place. Finishing a distant fourth and fifth were John "Sonny" Mikita and John "Toots" Croftcheck, respectively.

Cavanagh and Vicites previously served eight years together, and Cavanagh said Wednesday he wanted to avoid that happening again at all costs.

Cavanagh said numerous people advised him that teaming up with Zapotosky was a risk because it could cost him a nomination, but Cavanagh said he doesn't regret the decision.

"I wanted to win on my terms, and my terms were to win with Vince Zapotosky," said Cavanagh. "I'm glad Zapotosky won and I'm glad I lost, because I didn't want to be in there four years with Vince Vicites."

According to unofficial vote totals with all 103 precincts reporting, Zapotosky received 9,953 votes; Vicites received 8,815 votes, which was 1,138 fewer than Zapotosky; and Cavanagh received 7,910 votes, which was 905 fewer than Vicites.

Mikita received 2,877 votes and Croftcheck received 2,549 votes. The vote totals do not include absentee ballots.

Cavanagh said he believes that Mikita and Croftcheck were put into the race by Vicites to cut the vote. "I don't operate that way. Where did they mount a serious campaign?" Cavanagh asked. "Vince Vicites wouldn't dare ever run one-on-one against me. He played his little game and that round is over, and we'll see what happens in the fall."

During the last weeks of the campaign, Zapotosky and Cavanagh officially teamed up and ran numerous advertisements critical of Vicites, calling him the highest-taxing commissioner in Fayette County history and criticizing Vicites for taking a $20,000 campaign contribution from Republican Commissioner Joseph A. Hardy III.

The November election will feature voters selecting two candidates from among Vicites, Zapotosky, Hardy and Commission Chairwoman Angela M. Zimmerlink. The top three vote getters will get the positions...

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