Three candidates vying for Waynesburg district judge seat
WAYNESBURG – Three candidates are running for the magisterial seat in Waynesburg that was vacated more than a year ago after Lou Dayich won election in 2015 to become a Greene County judge.
All three candidates, David Balint, Owen Coffman and Jody Pierce-Craig, have cross-filed their candidacies to appear on ballots for both Republican and Democratic voters in the May 16 primary.
The winner of each party’s nomination will continue on to the general election in November to seek the judicial position that includes a six-year term. The magisterial district has been served by Senior District Judge Jesse Cramer in an interim role since early 2016.
Balint, 39, of Waynesburg, is the Greene County controller and a certified public accountant, which he uses for his own accounting business. He has a degree in accounting and minor in business management from Waynesburg University. He’s a member of Waynesburg-Franklin Fire Department and served on the Corner Cupboard Food Bank board for a decade until 2013.
“In public service now, I make decisions. I think I have a good record and people I deal with would say I’m fair,” Balint said. “I make sure I can make an educated decision and be fair about it. I show people respect, treat them with dignity and it’s just my personality. It’s just my temperament. I think your actions speak louder than words.”
Coffman, 50, of Center Township, works as a health and safety inspector for Consol Energy and a part-time East Washington police officer. He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice from Waynesburg University. He has also spent time working for police departments in Waynesburg, Carmichaels, Cumberland and North Franklin, as well as two years in the county’s domestic relations office as a child support office.
“I’ve been on the front lines and handled theses disputes that come before the magistrate,” Coffman said. “When these cases come before the court, when they give their story, I’ll have a good understanding of it because I’ve dealt with it. I’ll know if I’m being snowballed or not, and will be able to rely on those past experiences.”
Pierce-Craig, 45, of Waynesburg, is a travel agent who has earned post-secondary degrees from National Travel School and Penn Commercial, and has also worked as an administrative assistant. She said her work as a travel agent helps prepare families for the unexpected.
“I help families make costly decisions and ensure they are satisfied with the outcome, from customs to contracts and regulations, both domestic and international,” Pierce-Craig said in an email. “I make calm out of chaos and I make barriers disappear.”
The candidates viewed the open seat as an opportunity to run and make a difference.
“I want to see stern leadership in that position. I’m raising my kids here, and I want the district to be safe for my family and everyone’s family,” said Balint who has two boys with his wife, with another child expected later this year. “It’s something where I feel like I can make a difference in the type of world I want to hand off to my children.”
Coffman and his wife, Cricket, have four grown children and six grandchildren.
“It’s something I thought about doing a few years ago,” Coffman said. “There isn’t an incumbent right now and this is the best time for someone new to get in. It’s an equal opportunity for all of the candidates and I thought I’d be a good fit. Let the voters decide. Let them be the judge.”
Pierce-Craig lives in Waynesburg with her husband, Casey, and their two children, although they plan to move back to her childhood home in Ruff Creek.
“I am running for district judge because I am concerned about the future of my children and the people of Greene County,” Pierce-Craig said. “I was born and raised here, my kids are growing up here, when I look around, it isn’t the same. We have lost too much. Our population is dropping, and we are seeing an increase in crime and repeat offenders of crime.”
Balint has already taken the required training to be certified as a magistrate, while Coffman said he plans to take the course later this year if he wins one or both nominations.
Balint said his career in public service makes him the best candidate for the position.
“I’ve tried to prove to the citizens that I’m qualified and a good steward for the public good,” Balint said. “This is a serious job for serious people. Knowing I had a plan in place, hopefully the voters will take that into consideration.”
Coffman said his “extensive” background in law enforcement gives him an edge in working in the court system.
“Someone who doesn’t have that experience won’t be able to respond,” Coffman said. “Police officers can prevent cases from going to the magistrate. They do more than just law enforcement. They can stop a situation right there by handling it the right way.”
Pierce-Craig said the lack of political experience in an asset in the race.
“I am not a politician. I owe no favors. I will show up and prove my commitment to the job,” Pierce-Craig said. “I consider myself to be a law and order person, right is right, and wrong is wrong. I will follow the law. I will deliver a prompt, competent and efficient magisterial office anchored in ethics and integrity, without bias or prejudice.”
Meanwhile, District Judge Glenn Bates, whose district office includes Franklin, Jefferson and Morgan townships and Clarksville and Jefferson borough, is running unopposed for re-election in his district.