Thrasher to resign as Westmoreland commissioner

Gina Cerilli Thrasher will resign from her elected position as the lone Democrat on Westmoreland County’s board of commissioners, her chief of staff Don O’Brien said Wednesday.

Thrasher, 37, was confirmed Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Senate to fill a vacancy on the state’s Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. She will serve in a quasi-judicial post to rule on employment issues. She was nominated to fill a board vacancy by Gov. Josh Shapiro on June 19.

Thrasher did not respond to requests for comment.

“She will be submitting her resignation,” O’Brien said.

Thrasher took office in 2015 and was reelected four years later, in 2019, to the three-member board.

The vacant commissioners seat will be filled by Westmoreland County’s 11 Common Pleas judges in a process that officials said will be disclosed once Thrasher’s resignation becomes official.

Thrasher announced in February she would not seek a third term in office.

Democrats Ted Kopas, a former county commissioner who was defeated by Thrasher in 2019, and Scottdale resident Sydney Hovis are running in November against Republican incumbents Sean Kertes and Doug Chew.

Both Kopas and Hovis each said they will seek the appointment to complete the last six months of Thrasher’s term.

“I don’t see myself not applying for it, but it will be up to the judges to decide,” Hovis said.

Kopas was appointed by the county’s judges in 2010 to fill a commissioners seat left vacant after the resignation of Tom Ceraso.

“I will seek to fill the vacancy. It’s only right there is a full board of commissioners,” Kopas said.

State law mandates that judges appoint a candidate who was registered as a member of the same political party as the outgoing office holder, meaning applicants must have been Democrats in November 2019 to be considered.

County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Michelle McFall urged the county judges to act swiftly to fill Thrasher’s position.

“I don’t have a preference (between Kopas and Hovis), but it is important to fill that vacancy so Democrats have a voice on the board,” McFall said

Republican Commissioner Sean Kertes said Thrasher’s resignation could impact county operations.

“I wish her well and want to congratulate her on the appointment,” Kertes said. “We don’t know how quickly Gina is leaving. We have to make sure Commissioner Chew and I coordinate our schedules more closely to make the two of us are here.”

Until a replacement is selected, Kertes and Chew will operate as a two-person board. Decisions and votes will require their unanimous consent.

Chew did not respond to a request for comment.

Thrasher’s new position is a full-time job that pays $116,499 annually, Department of Labor and Industry spokesman Trevor Monk said.

Thrasher is the only Democrat elected to a countywide office. Democrats for decades served as the county’s dominant political force and until 2009 held every county elected office. Republicans made inroads in 2009 and for the first time in a half century took over a majority of the board of commissioners in 2011.

McFall praised Thrasher’s leadership during her seven years in office.

“I think Gov. Shapiro made a great choice, and I’m sure Gina will bring integrity and her great work ethic with her. She will be missed. This is a definitely a feather in Westmoreland County’s cap,” McFall said.

Thrasher will leave office with a robust campaign war chest.

Her political action committee, according the latest finance report filed with the county election bureau in January, showed assets of more than $71,000. Her committee listed campaign debt owed to Thrasher that totaled $5,250 and an additional $2,500 in loans owed to her parents.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, former office holders can repay loans and debt from campaign funds but are not permitted access that money for personal use. State code requires campaign funds be spent for political purposes to influence elections and support candidates.