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Pittston

Pittston: Democrats are shoo-ins for top posts

By Sherry Long slong@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

PITTSTON – Voters will find that the names on the Nov. 3 ballot will look remarkably similar to the Democrat primary ballot in May.

Jason Klush, 33, is the sole candidate seeking the Pittston mayoral seat. Michael Lombardo, 31, and Joseph Chernouskas, 37, are on the ballot seeking the two open council seats. Chris Latona is running unopposed for his sixth four-year term as controller, a position he’s held since 1990.

Chernouskas, Klush and Lombardo are running as a team on the November ballot.

All the candidates are Democrats and have no Republican opposition.

Barb Zangre, 53, also a Democrat, is seeking to win a council seat through a write-in campaign after losing a Democratic nomination in the primary.

Lombardo is getting a preview of what it’s like to serve on council.

An attorney with the Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn law firm, he was sworn in in June to serve the remainder of former councilwoman Donna McFadden-Connors’ term. She was appointed mayor to replace Joseph Keating, who resigned after losing in the primary to Klush.

Klush cites managerial experience and the ability to handle large budgets as he is a construction manager for Hadley Construction Inc.

The city can save some money by sharing resources with other communities, he said.

He and Chernouskas would like to increase police presence in the city by hiring two to three additional police officers, despite the tough economic crunch.