Democrats nominate committee stalwart to run for Westmoreland commissioner

Westmoreland Democrats nominated a Mt. Pleasant Township woman to run for a seat on the county board of commissioners.

Party officials on Thursday announced that longtime committee member Lisa Gephart will fill a vacancy on the November ballot to run alongside Commissioner Ted Kopas as Democrats seek to reclaim a majority at the courthouse.

Gephart, 56, is a retired school security officer and van driver. She will fill the vacancy created when Democrat Sydney Hovis withdrew from the race this month.

“I’ve always wanted to help the county,” Gephart said. “This is something I always wanted to do, and I didn’t want to leave the Democrats out in the lurch.”

Gephart was among a group of prospective candidates considered by the party, according to Westmoreland County Democratic Chairwoman Michelle McFall.

“We had other potential candidates, but Lisa fit the profile of who we were looking at,” McFall said. “We know Lisa, and she was what we were looking for.”

McFall said Gephart’s history with the committee, along with her successful run in 2022 when she was the party’s top local vote-getter for a seat on the state Democratic committee, contributed to the decision to select her for the nomination for commissioner.

Gephart and Kopas will appear as candidates for county commissioner along with Republican incumbents Sean Kertes and Doug Chew.

The top three finishers in the November election will win seats on the board of commissioners.

Kopas and Hovis, a 28-year-old political newcomer, were unchallenged in the May primary.

Kopas, who served as commissioner for a decade before he was ousted in 2019, finished as the party’s top vote-getter in the May primary.

He was appointed in July by the county judges to return as a commissioner, replacing Democrat Gina Cerilli Thrasher. She resigned after she was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro to serve as a member of the state’s Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.

“I give Lisa great credit for stepping up to fill the void. Voters deserve a full ballot,” Kopas said. “Lisa and I share many of the same friends and supporters. But, like I’ve said before, I am not running with or against anyone. I am running for the residents of Westmoreland County.”

For more than a half-century, Democrats were the dominant political party in Westmoreland County but, after years of erosion, were overtaken by Republicans in 2019. According to the most recent voter registration numbers, Republicans — with nearly 122,000 registered voters — now account for more than 50% of the county’s electorate and outnumber Democrats by more than 30,000.

Gephart and McFall said Democrats understand the challenge ahead this fall but said they expect a competitive race.

“Our focus now is on the next 74 days when we will do everything we can to take back the majority at the courthouse,” McFall said.

Gephart said she continues to formulate her platform but expects it will focus on job creation and helping small businesses flourish.

“I am a normal, everyday person and not a career politician,” Gephart said. “I understand the hardships people have endured as much as everyone else.”