Jul 13, 2014 3 min read

Members of the Washington County Democratic Committee elected Ronald Sicchitano as its new chairman Saturday.

According to former chairman George Vitteck Jr., only 138 of 235 committee members voted in what he called a “smooth” election. Sicchitano, of North Bethlehem Township, a retired miner, received 92 votes, and his opponent Kenneth J. Westcott of Washington, city councilman and former mayor, received 45 votes.

Sicchitano, whose appointment was effective immediately, said he plans to unify the party.

“I want to make the party more relevant,” he said. “I want people to know who we are and what we stand for.”

The committee also elected Washington resident Linda Andrews as first vice chairman and Donora’s Lawrence Mauro as second vice chairman. Andrews received 91 votes to beat her opponent, Deborah Harter, of South Strabane, who received 46 votes. Mauro received 86 votes to beat his opponent, Carl Haberl, of Donora, who received 50 votes.

The following people were elected to the committee’s executive board:

Avella: Hazel M. Carroll; Bentworth: Louis Brova; Bethlehem-Center: Donna Sakel and Jeremy Berardinelli; Burgettstown: Harry Sabatesse and Violet Vega; California: Joseph DeBlassio and Lorranie Vitchoff; Canon-McMillan: Jennifer Inaba, Andrew Scrader and Kathleen Scrader; Charleroi: Edward Bryner and Debbie Bardella; Chartiers-Houston: Pauline Chappell; Fort Cherry: A tie between Richard Ward and Raymond Bish; McGuffey: Carl Maggi and Patricia Maggi; Peters Township: Ann Schaner and Virgil Colucci; Ringgold: John Conger and a tie between Camilla Pokol and Estel Larry Taylor; Trinity: Esther Cimino, Russell Gorby and Betty Jean Roberts; Washington; Margaret Wilson and Brenda Davis.

Vitteck said ties will be determined at a later date.

As a part of the reorganization, Sicchitano is to appoint a party secretary, treasure and assistant treasurer. He said he selected Fred Rossell as treasure, George Vitteck as secretary and Brenda Wright as assistant treasure.

As in previous years, this election was not without controversy. Clifton Cochran, a committeeman from Washington’s 3rd Ward, 1st Precinct who was also elected to the Pennsylvania Democratic Committee in May, hoped to run for Washington County Democratic Party chairman. His name, however, did not appear on a list of candidates mailed to county committee members.

Sicchitano said this disappointed him because he wanted the “people to have a choice.” However, he does not foresee any problems in the aftermath of the election.

“Not unless (Cochran) wants to create controversy,” Sicchitano said. “We’ve moved on from there.”

Sicchitano’s opponents, though disappointed in their losses, said they plan to support him. Haberl said he called the winners and pledged his support.

“We need to put our differences aside,” he said. “A lot of things need to change.”

Westcott agreed.

“We need to support the party,” he said. “We need to be united.”