Tamaqua businessman Larry Padora emerged victorious in Tuesday’s Schuylkill County Commissioner Republican Primary Election.
He collected the most votes out of the 8 candidates vying for the 2 nominations up for grabs.
He’ll be joined on the GOP ticket in the November 7 General Election by Boots Hetherington, the current Commissioners Chairman, who was installed in office back in 2020.
Padora grabbed 5,871 votes. Hetherington got 5,210 votes.
That means incumbent George Halcovage is out and will now be a lame duck Commissioner for the remainder of his term. He finished near the bottom of the pack in the Tuesday Primary.
Padora Mostly Self-Funded Tuesday’s Win
Reached by phone in the early morning hours on Wednesday, Padora expressed obvious happiness with the outcome of Tuesday’s Primary.
“I’m very happy about the outcome,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without my family, my girlfriend, Kira, and my daughters: Cheyenne, Trinity, Navaya, and Nattie.”
Padora also thanked his supporters and “everybody that helped work a poll, hand out palm cards, knock on doors … and the voters of Schuylkill County. It was a team effort and I am humbled for the support.”
Asked why he thinks he emerged victorious in the vote, he said, “I think the message of a better tomorrow for Schuylkill County resonated with the people.”
Moss Finishes 3rd, Halcovage 7th
| County Commissioner (GOP) - Top 2 win | Votes (100% in) |
|---|---|
| ✅ Larry Padora | 5,871 |
| ✅ Barron Boots Hetherington | 5,210 |
| Mary Jo Moss | 4,534 |
| Maria Casey | 3,751 |
| Jeffrey J. Dunkel | 2,819 |
| Dan Evans | 2,674 |
| George Halcovage | 2,545 |
| Ray Jones | 2,001 |
Mary Jo Moss sneaked in to 3rd place among the candidates, in what many may see as a surprise. She grabbed 4,534 votes and ran a close 3rd much of the night.
Outgoing Clerk of Courts Maria Casey finished 4th in the Tuesday race. She had 3,751 votes.
Jeff Dunkel finished 5th in voting with 2,819. Dan Evans was 6th at 2,674 votes.
Halcovage got 2,545 votes in his re-election bid. Ray Jones finished last with 2,001 votes.
Hess, Anczarski-Baldino Secure Democrat Nominations
Padora and Hetherington will now advance to the General Election in November. There, they’ll meet incumbent Gary Hess, who got the most votes among Democrats in their uncontested Primary on Tuesday.
Rita Anczarski-Baldino got the other nomination. They were the only 2 candidates on the Democrat ballot competing for the 2 nominations.
Those 4 candidates, plus any third-party candidates that file petitions before the Aug. 1 deadline, will square off for the 3 seats on the Schuylkill County Commissioners board.
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