Carson defeats Bacha in Westmoreland coroner’s race, as GOP sweeps county row offices
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Scottdale’s Tim Carson on Tuesday went from caterer to coroner and ended the political dynasty that has held the Westmoreland County office for nearly a half century.
With 100% of the vote counted, the Republican appeared to defeat five-term incumbent Democrat Ken Bacha. The owner of Carson’s Premier Catering in Scottdale had more 51% of the vote and led Bacha by about 2,400 votes.
Bacha moved out to an early lead based on totals from mail-in votes. That lead was gone by 11:30 p.m.
Results are unofficial until verified by the county election bureau.
“I am excited and I know I can do the job,” Carson said. “I just thank the people of Westmoreland County who gave me a chance. This showed a lot of people outside of Greensburg didn’t know who Kenny Bacha was or who his family was.”
Carson served as Scottdale mayor for a decade and previously worked 10 years as the director of community affairs for the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office, in addition to a two-year stint as the deputy county register of wills.
He was a registered Democrat when he served as mayor and while employed at the courthouse under Democratic officeholders. He switched to Republican after he left the courthouse in 2012.
Bacha, 60, was seeking to eclipse his father’s longevity record as the county’s longest-tenured coroner. His father, Leo, served more 23 years in office. He retired in 2002 and was replaced by his son.
Bacha could not be reached for comment early Wednesday morning.
Bacha started his career in 2000 working under his father in the coroner’s office. In addition to his coroner’s job, he also owns and runs two funeral homes, one in Greensburg and another in Unity.
The coroner’s office, which operates with five full-time and five part-time deputies, last year investigated about 3,500 deaths and oversaw nearly 190 autopsies.
Clerk of Courts
Republican Megan Loughner was poised to win her first full four-year term as county Clerk of Courts.
With all precincts reporting, the 36-year-old from Unity had 66% of the vote and was on pace to defeat Democrat Muzzy Colosimo, 70, of Hempfield.
Loughner has served as the acting clerk of courts since February, when Bryan Kline resigned to become warden of the county jail. Loughner worked as the office’s fiscal manager under Kline when he took office in 2010 and was promoted to serve as his top deputy in 2016.
Colosimo works as football coach and athletic director at Valley High School in New Kensington after a long tenure as head coach at Greensburg Central Catholic and stops at Franklin Regional and Hempfield Area high schools. He recently announced he will retire from coaching at the end of this season.
Prothonotary
Republican Gina O’Barto held a comfortable lead over Democrat Tom Murphy in the race for county Prothonotary.
O’Barto, 58, of Unity works as a fiscal clerk in the county’s controller’s office. Murphy, 57, of New Kensington, served four terms as the county’s Recorder of Deeds before he was ousted from office for a second time in 2019.
Both were vying to replace Democrat Christina O’Brien, who will retire at the end of the year after serving three terms in office.
O’Barto had 62% of the vote.