Primary season is here, and while it might not have the high drama of a presidential race, Pennsylvania’s May 20 municipal primary still packs a punch for local politics.
If you’re an independent voter, you’ll unfortunately have to sit this one out. Pennsylvania runs closed primaries, so only voters registered as Democrats or Republicans get to cast ballots in their party’s races.
The guide will break down who’s on the partisan ballot for those registered to vote with a mailing address at Lafayette College. If you’re registered elsewhere, whether in another part of Pennsylvania or out of state, head to vote411.org, vote.org or your local county elections office to find information on who is running and where or how you can vote.
Getting to the polls
All Pennsylvania voters must be registered by May 5, and, for those who prefer mail-in ballots, they must be requested by May 13. Those who are unsure of their voter registration status or polling location can find information at vote.pa.gov.
Lafayette students voting in person can do so at Kirby Sports Center between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Those who are in line to vote by 8 p.m. cannot be turned away. Additionally, for those who decide to vote by mail, ballots must be received by the Northampton County Office of Elections and Voter Registration, located at 669 Washington Street, by 8 p.m. on May 16. Exceptions will not be made for ballots merely postmarked by that time.
Who is on the ballot?
Judge of the Superior Court
Democratic candidates
Brandon Neuman served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. His journey to law saw him cover various specialty courts and family courts.
Stella Tsai has served on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas since 2016, presiding over will contests, estate disputes and medical malpractices. Her campaign highlights her guiding principles of “integrity, transparency, consistency, and empathy.”
Republican candidates
Maria Battista has served as the legal counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Health and has worked in law for over 30 years. She has presided over hundreds of cases as a hearing examiner, most notably in the state Department of Corrections. She seeks to advocate for fair health cases and matters.
Josh Prince has over 15 years of leadership in legal advocacy with a focus on Second Amendment advocacy and service as the chief counsel of the Firearms Industry Consulting Group. In his campaign, Prince has promised to “ensure justice through fair and impartial application of the law.”
Ann Marie Wheatcraft began her tenure in Pennsylvania law as a prosecutor in Chester County over 25 years ago. She became a judge of the Chester County Court of Common Pleas in 2012 and currently supervises dependency court proceedings and treatment courts. She cited her experience in civil and family court as a motivator for her campaign.
Matt Wolford is a small-business owner from Northwest Pennsylvania now working in environmental law and fighting for private property rights and zoning disputes. He served as the assistant and regional counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and once served as a civil litigation attorney in Philadelphia.
Northampton County Executive
Democratic candidates
Tara Zrinski is the current Northampton County Controller, overseeing county budgets and operational procedures. She previously served as a county commissioner, chairing several committees that centered on economic development, the environment and energy. With these backgrounds, she aims to strengthen cybersecurity, protect the environment and use AI to improve efficiency.
Amy Cozze served as the director of outreach for former Sen. Bob Casey and has held a variety of roles as a Northampton County employee in administration, court services and as chief registrar of elections. She also has over a decade of experience as a small business owner. In 2018, she ran for the state House of Representatives in the 137th District, but lost her race. This campaign, Cozze is running on a platform that focuses on ensuring the county “thrives for future generations.”
Republican candidates
Tom Giovanni is the current District 4 council member for the Northampton County Council. He has spent 31 years in the Nazareth area, where he currently works as an IT consultant and purchasing manager and serves as the technology committee chair of the Nazareth Mutual Insurance Company’s board of directors.
Northampton County Council
(Vote for not more than five)
Democratic candidates
Jason Boulette is the current vice president of business analysis for the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, a financial services corporation. After a year of serving on Wind Gap Borough’s Council, Boulette is running for county council on a platform of keeping taxes low, limiting the growth of warehouses and a commitment to law enforcement.
David Holland is a nursing professor at East Stroudsburg University, running for public office for the first time. His platform largely centers around mental health reform and advocating for the “voiceless,” he said in a news release. Holland is also a nurse practitioner serving the greater Lehigh Valley area.
Theresa Fadem was chosen as the vice-president of Hellertown’s borough council this year after being elected as a member in 2021. After working as a real estate agent for the past 20 years, Fadem argues she has extensive experience in community management, capital improvement planning and budget preparation. She has been touting policies that promote environmental sustainability and access to affordable housing.
Nadeem Qayyum is a former candidate for the Northampton County controller position. His campaign advocates for job creation and sustainable housing in the county. He also opposes mass warehouse and landfill construction in the Lehigh Valley, calling for environmental reform in the area. He has worked in business management for 30 years and previously practiced law in Pakistan. He is married to incumbent Easton city councilwoman Taiba Sultana.
Patti Bruno currently serves as the executive director for the Allentown School District Foundation. In her campaign, Bruno said she would seek to ensure election integrity and improve the county-owned Gracedale nursing home. She also ran for Northampton County Council in 2021, losing to former county executive John Brown.
Lori Vargo Heffner, a psychotherapist at St. Luke University’s Health Network, has served in local government for seven years. A Northampton County councilwoman since 2018, she is running for re-election to improve access for working-class families in the Lehigh Valley. Vargo Heffner has also served as the county president for four years.
Republican candidates
Juan Martinez is best known to the Lafayette College community for being the owner of Don Juan Mex Grill. He is running on a campaign of keeping taxes low, reducing government waste spending and improving public safety and infrastructure. In an interview with The Lafayette, he cited his background as an immigrant and small business owner for his concerns over the misallocation of government resources.
John Brown has spent over a decade in local government, first as the mayor of Bangor and then as the Northampton County Executive. He is currently an at-large Northampton County Council member, serving on the human services, governance, finance and capital projects and operations standing committees.
Sam Elias highlights his experiences as a small business owner, Northampton County police officer and community volunteer.
John Goffredo currently serves as the vice-president and an at-large member of the Northampton County Council. As the chair of the economic development standing committee, he has emphasized his status as one of the council’s youngest members.
Daniel Campo is a pilot and former firefighter running on a platform of transparency, integrity and fiscal responsibility. According to his campaign website, he intends to prioritize infrastructure, public safety and essential services while pushing back on “wasteful proposals.”
Common Pleas Court Judge
Democratic/Republican candidates
Robert Eyer was appointed as Northampton County’s first district attorney last year. In his 30-year career serving as a lawyer, Eyer has handled a variety of judicial matters, including criminal defense, civil, business and municipal zoning and planning. He is a registered Democrat but cross-filed for both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Jeremy Clark is currently one of the solicitors for the city of Easton as well as a practicing civil litigation lawyer. He previously served on the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas as conflict counsel and, later, special divorce master. He cross-filed for both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Republican candidates
James Fuller is an assistant district attorney for Monroe County, where he previously worked as an assistant public defender.
Easton City Council (District 3)
Democratic candidates
Susan Hartranft-Bittinger has received endorsement from multiple current city council members, as well as the Lehigh Valley Labor Council. She is currently a director on the Easton Area School District Board of Education.
Taiba Sultana is a sitting council member known for her openly progressive stances, including affordable housing and minority rights. In April of last year, she was presented with a petition calling for her to step down after alleged missed meetings.
There are no Republican candidates for the District 3 city councilperson.
Easton Area School Director (Region III)
(Vote for not more than two)
Democratic/Republican candidates
Tonette Placotaris is running for Easton Area School director and will appear on both the Republican and Democratic ballots.
Meg Sayago is currently serving as an Easton Area School District Board of Education director and will appear on both the Republican and Democratic ballots. In previous interviews with The Lafayette, she has voiced concerns regarding the designation of English as the official language of the United States and the proposed Wood Avenue warehouse’s potential effects on bus routes and the local environment.
Edward Keegan is running for Easton Area School director on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Keegan previously served on the board of directors from 2019 to 2023, before losing in the 2023 primary on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. He previously served as a school district superintendent in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
Republican candidates
Shaun Jensen is running for Region III Easton Area School director and is the only candidate who will appear solely on the Republican ballot.
A correction was made on April 25, 2025. A previous version of this article had several inaccuracies:
- Superior Court candidate Brandon Neuman’s campaign does not call for bipartisan legislation; judges do not legislate.
- Northampton County executive candidate Tara Zrinski served as one of nine county commissioners, not the sole commissioner.
- Northampton County executive candidate Amy Cozze previously ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, not the House of Representatives.
- Northampton County Council candidate John Brown has over a decade of local government experience, not eight years.
- Common Pleas Court candidate Robert Eyer has cross-filed and will appear on the ballots of both major parties. He is not solely a Democratic candidate expecting to cross-file.
- Easton City Council candidate Susan Hartranft-Bittinger is one of nine Easton Area School Board directors, not the sole director. She was also endorsed by several city council members, not city council representatives.
- Easton Area School director candidate Tonette Placotaris merely appears on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. She does not necessarily have the endorsement of either party.
- Easton Area School director candidate Meg Sayago currently serves as a school director, not a school representative.
David Telstar • May 2, 2025 at 12:49 am
It might be easier to just list what you got right instead of the inaccuracies.