Republican hopefuls challenge democratic incumbents in 2019 commissioner race

Just because 2019 isn’t a presidential election year does not mean there aren’t contested local elections happening. A major election in Greene County for 2019 is the Greene County Commissioners race. Date?

Four candidates are vying for three positions on the County’s commissioner board. Currently, two democrats and one republican run the board. 

While both democrats are running for re-election as incumbents, Archie Trader, republican commissioner and secretary on the board, is not running for re-election.

The republicans elected two candidates to run for commissioner in the 2019 Primary, with Betsy Rohanna McClure receiving 44% of the republican vote and Mike Belding receiving 43%. Both incumbents Blair Zimmerman and Dave Coder won the democratic primary, with Zimmerman receiving 33% of the democratic vote and Coder receiving 29%.

Belding, who grew up in Greene County before a career in the United States Marine Corps, moved back to the area with his family after retiring.

“I came back to Greene County because of fond memories of growing up here,” Belding said. “I love this place.”

If elected commissioner, Belding wants to focus on improving the efficiency of local government, diversifying the economy and addressing the drug crisis.

“At the county level, we should all be focused on what is important to our future,” Belding said. “The safety of our children, the strength of the economy, the success of our education

system and opportunities presented to the next generation.”

Belding has focused his campaign against party politics, as evidenced by his “Not Red, Not Blue, Greene” initiative.

“It’s not about political parties or re-election opportunities,” Belding said. “Right now we need a significant change in the culture of Greene County government where taxpayers come first and decisions are based on what is best for the future of Greene County.”

McClure, who has lived in Greene County her whole life, has spent her professional career as a nurse. A major change McClure wishes to bring to the commissioners board is transparency.

“I would like to hold commissioner meetings in the evening so that more of the residents can

attend, and make meetings available on video or even live stream if possible,” McClure said. “I would have an open-door policy and welcome the public to stop in or to schedule a time to

share their concerns, ideas and solutions to challenges we have here in the county.”

Zimmerman, who serves as the chairman of the board of commissioners, is running for a third term as commissioner. Before being elected to his current term, Zimmerman, then the mayor of Waynesburg, was selected to replace former commissioner and current Pennsylvania state representative Pam Snyder on the board, completing the remaining three years to complete his first term. He was appointed the chairman position in Jan. of 2016 and previously served on the boards of retirement, salary and prison for Greene County.

Coder, who is currently the vice chairman of the board, will be running for his sixth term. As a native of Greene County, Coder was first elected in 1995. Coder served two years of his fourth term from 2008-2010 and was then re-elected to the board in 2016. 

Neither Zimmerman nor Coder commented at the time of publication.

Election day is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 5, with the top three vote-getters gaining seats as Greene County Commissioners.