Bartels holds off challenger Marquis, wins 2nd term as Latrobe mayor

Incumbent Eric Bartels appeared to hold off challenger Christine Marquis Tuesday in the race for Latrobe mayor.

With all six city precincts reporting, Bartels garnered about 51% of the vote compared to about 48.7% for Marquis.

Bartels, 48, the Republican nominee, ran for a second term as mayor. He previously served as a city council member beginning in 2016.

He teaches history at Norwin High School and is an adjunct professor at Saint Vincent College, leading courses on state and local politics and methods of teaching social studies.

Under Latrobe’s city charter, the mayor leads council meetings and votes with that body on municipal matters. Bartels said he wanted to continue in that role as the city proceeds with efforts to tackle blight and takes on in-house collection of household refuse.

Marquis, 57, was pursuing her first bid for public office.

A longtime poll worker in Latrobe’s 3rd Ward, she won the Democratic nomination by capturing the most write-in votes.

She has worked as a gymnastics coach, an equestrian instructor and a financial counselor in a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room. A CPR instructor, she is working to purchase a local business and helps to manage a rock band whose members include her husband.

She said she wanted to see Latrobe’s businesses increase and to have more people learn about what the city has to offer for residents.