Race for Hampton council looks to be competitive

Six candidates will seek three available positions on Hampton council this fall.

The highly contested race saw the slimmest of margins among the field in the May 18 primary.

According to unofficial results from the Allegheny County Office of Elections, Democratic nominee Bethany Blackburn earned 1,402 votes, followed by Julie Fritsch with 1,389 and Carolynn Johnson with 1,369.

On the Republican ticket, Rebecca Craig earned 1,265 votes, followed by Michael Bowman with 1,246 and Jay Hagerman with 1,211.

Each of the nominees is vying for three available four-year seats. There are also two candidates for a two-year position.

Newcomer Bowman said he enjoyed his first go-round at the polling sites, handing out information and meeting residents.

A resident of the township for 32 years, Bowman recently retired from orthopaedic practice and promised to give back by volunteering to work on council.

“By fall, I hope to get our message out to as many Hamptonians as possible,” he said. “We want to represent all Hampton residents and be responsive to their needs. We want to provide the same high level of essential services, such as road maintenance, public utilities and public safety. We hear taxpayers desire to keep taxes lows and spend taxpayer dollars in a wise fashion.

“I am hopeful in the fall that Hampton residents will allow me the honor of representing them.”

Blackburn and Johnson issued a joint statement, saying they planned to spend the upcoming months sharing their vision with Hampton voters.

“We want to continue investing in our infrastructure to maintain and improve the township’s high level of service, further increase the township’s outreach and responsiveness to citizen concerns and enhance the senses of community and connectedness among township residents,” the statement read.

Hagerman, a Hampton native and attorney, said he represents many people on fixed incomes and realizes that tax hikes can impact some residents in a negative way.

“As a business owner in Hampton and having come out of a pandemic, I think we need to foster business growth and development in the township,” he said. “The Route 8 corridor is a great place for business potential and growth. I’d like to see some more creative ideas with public-private partnerships like the county has implemented successfully. I think it would be wise to have a business advisory committee or some outlet for local business to collectively have the ear of the township to incubate growth.”

Hagerman said he’d like to use his legal experience to review some of the more cumbersome ordinances that frustrate residents.

“If there are any processes that can be more efficiently implemented or any ways to allow residents to enjoy their real estate, I’d like to review those as well and take some headaches away from residents in that realm,” he said.

Newcomer Fritsch said she plans to spend the next several months speaking with voters, listening to their concerns and sharing her vision for the community.

“I want to ensure Hampton continues to take advantage of the opportunities to further improve our infrastructure, our partnerships, citizen outreach and responsiveness, as well as foster business growth,” Fritsch said.

In the race for the two-year seat, two nominees will vie in November for one available position.

Democrat Richard Kernick captured his party’s nomination in the primary with 1,049 votes.

On the Republican ticket, it was Alfred Midgley with 1,380 votes.

Midgley said Hampton is in the early stages of implementing a long-term comprehensive plan and his goal is to ensure execution is in the most viable, cost-conscious manner.

“I want to balance the needs of the community with being responsible to the taxpayer,” he said. “It is important to me that I can advocate for the citizens of Hampton.”