Election Preview: Woodland Hills School Board

The election ballot for the School Board race is going to hold a lot of familiar names.

Two newcomers,  and Sean Vinsick, secured spots to run after the primary election. Belmonte won the Republican ballot with 56 percent of the vote for Region 3, which consists of , Braddock Hills, North Braddock and East Pittsburgh. He also secured a Republican at-large spot. His opponent, Robert Tomasic, an incumbent on the board for 24 years, won the Region 3 Democratic ballot with 57 percent of the vote.

Tomasic also took home a victory in the at-large elections, securing the other spot next to Belmonte on the Republican ballot and one of the Democratic spots.

Vinsick, who only ran for the Region 1 spot, took 96 percent of the vote against write-in candidates on the Republican ticket. The region includes Churchill, Wilkins, Chalfant and Turtle Creek.

Vinsick faces incumbent and current vice president, Regis Driscoll, in the Nov. 8 election. Driscoll won 60 percent of the vote on the Democratic Region 1 ballot against Vinsick and newcomer,

Next to Tomasic on the Democratic at-large ballot is current school board president, . Together, Messina and Tomasic have represented the board for a collective 48 years.  

Messina also won the primary within Region 2, which includes Braddock, Rankin, and , with 45 percent and 52 percent of the vote on the Republican and Democratic ballots, respectively.

Due to a regional change for this year’s election, Messina ran against incumbent Randy Lott, as well as newcomer Alfred Nogrady on the Republican ticket and against Lott, Nogrady and Jeff Hanchett on the Democratic ballot. Lott also tried his hand at an at-large seat, but he only registered 7 percent of the vote on both tickets.