Leechburg Council election decided: Incumbents reelected but newcomer earns top spot

Political newcomer John Mrvan remained the top vote-getter in the Leechburg Council election, while all three incumbents won reelection, according to official returns from the Armstrong County Election Bureau.

Mrvan, a Republican and pharmaceutical technician for Leechburg HealthMart Pharmacy, received 247 votes.

Two Democratic incumbents were right behind: Alan Tarr received 237 votes, and Chuck Pascal received 225 votes.

Republican incumbent Lorrie Bazella edged out newcomer Dustin Waldenville 214 to 210.

The official returns came after previous reports by the elections office indicated Waldenville had defeated Bazella, 216 votes to 213.

Elections officials did not return multiple calls seeking comment regarding how the vote total changed.

“I was shocked,” Bazella said about the final results. “I feel good. I’m glad I’m able to do this again.”

Bazella, 53, also was encouraged by Waldenville’s willingness to participate in the electoral process and be involved in borough government.

“I’d also like to see Dustin come to the (council) meetings and be a part of it,” she said. “I hope to see him there. I hope he runs again. Our council is not getting any younger. We are starting to get up there in age, and it’s good to see some younger people that want to get involved.”

She declined to comment on the roller coaster of the voting results.

Waldenville, 21, hopes to build on the momentum gathered in the election.

“I’m still extremely grateful for the support that I received and the people I was able to talk to and connect with,” he said. “I have plans to run again in the future, and I hope for a better outcome with that.”

Bazella plans to look into how to draw hydroelectric power from the Kiski River, as well as explore other ways to have the borough “go green.”

Pascal, who has served as mayor and on the Leechburg Area School Board, said this was the closest race in recent memory.

“There’s not a situation in the Valley other than us that the election was that close,” he said. “Any one of us could have gone down or up based on the numbers. There was nobody on the ballot that the public overwhelmingly rejected. You’re talking about a couple votes.”

He said mail-ins had an impact this time like never before.

“You have to wait for all the votes to be counted before you declare a winner,” Pascal said. “That’s what we’ve learned. It’s like the presidential election: you have to wait for all the votes. … (The election office) put out the numbers they had and they continually updated them.”

The first numbers were the totals of those who voted in person, the second added mail-ins and the third numbers released were the final results.

“The alternative is not to release any numbers at all until they’re all done. … (But) you’re not going to have that. The people have to know what they’re looking at when they see the numbers — just like last year with the presidential election.”

The council members will be sworn in for their four-year terms in early January.