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By Terrie Morgan-Besecker tmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter
Terrie Morgan-Besecker on Facebook   |   @TLTerrieMorgan on Twitter

Outspent by a more than 2-to-1 margin and dogged by allegations she failed to protect juveniles from a corrupt judge, Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll lost her bid for re-election Tuesday to challenger Stefanie Salavantis, according to final but unofficial results.

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With her father, Harry, at her side, Stefanie Salavantis celebrates her victory in the Luzerne County district attorney race.

BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER

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Stefanie Salavantis celebrates with supporters at the River Grille in Plains Township after winning the district attorney race on Tuesday night.

BILL TARUTIS/for the times leader

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Salavantis, a Republican, pulled off the upset after launching a highly negative campaign that repeatedly attacked Musto Carroll, a Democrat, for her handling of the juvenile justice scandal involving former judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan.

Salavantis, 29, secured 31,776 votes, while Musto Carroll, 50, garnered 30,811 votes, according to the unofficial results posted by the county Bureau of Elections.

The two candidates were neck-and-neck through most of the night, with Musto Carroll holding the lead up until late in the evening. Salavantis surpassed the incumbent after 176 of 189 precincts reported, causing supporters who joined her at the River Grille in Plains Township to erupt into cheers.

Salavantis said she got an indication she might pull off the upset as she spoke with voters at various polling places throughout the day.

“People were telling me ‘You have my vote. We want a change,’” Salavantis said.

She said she anticipated a close race, given Musto Carroll’s name recognition. In the end, she said she believed her position as an unknown outsider helped propel her to victory.

“I’m not known. I’m not connected. People are ready for a fresh face,” she said.

Salavantis got on the general election ballot after running a last-minute write-in campaign for the Republican nomination in the May primary election.

She said she decided to run, in part, because she was frustrated that Musto Carroll had no opposition. She had promised voters a “fresh start,” asking them to make a clean sweep of all those she alleged had stood by idly as Ciavarella violated juveniles’ rights.

That issue was the focus of her campaign. She pummeled Musto Carroll with television, radio and print ads that criticized her for failing to do more to uncover the juvenile justice scandal. She spent a total of $184,249 in the general election, compared to $70,310 by Musto Carroll.

Despite the attacks, Musto Carroll opted to stay positive in her campaign, focusing on her qualifications and 26 years of experience as an attorney – 20 of which had been spent as a prosecutor.

Surrounded by supporters at the Gramercy Restaurant in Pittston, a subdued Musto Carroll said it was unfortunate voters could not see through the attack ads and judge her based on her record.

“It was a very unfair and negative campaign,” Musto Carroll said. “I don’t think the issues were fairly drawn. It wasn’t about my experience and my accomplishments. It was about ‘kids for cash.’ I was on the right side of that.”

Musto Carroll said she felt voters would see that she was more qualified than Salavantis, who has been an attorney for just two years and has never prosecuted a criminal case. In the end, the juvenile justice scandal was too much to overcome.

“I thought people would judge me based on my accomplishments. That’s what I look for in people -- who was the most qualified. I thought other people did that as well,” she said.

Salavantis said she expected to take some heat for the negative ads, but she felt Musto Carroll’s failure to do more to protect juveniles was a legitimate issue.

“Her job as first assistant (district attorney) at the time of all this corruption – she should have stepped forward. That is something I would have done and she should be held accountable. That’s what I was trying to state,” she said.

She said her first priority once she takes office will be to fight to restore integrity and trust in the court system.

“Our county is seen as one of the worst areas in the country and one of the most corrupt. I want to change that.”