WILKES-BARRE -- Elections officials struggled for hours with technical difficulties but by the end of the night, it was clear that voter chose Michelle Bednar as the new Luzerne County Controller.
Supporters spent the evening with Bednar at Happy Pizza in Plymouth.
County finances were a top priority for many voters. Luzerne County is $430 million in debt and Luzerne County’s new fiscal watchdog said cutting waste is her top priority.
“The voters came out and they showed me that they want change. I’m there to work very hard for all the taxpayers of Luzerne County and I’ll make sure that all the dollars are spent wisely,” Bednar said.
Bendars Republican challenger Carolee Medico Olenginski thanked her supporters at the Wyoming Valley Country Club in Hanover Township. Luzerne County’s former prothonotary says she is now likely done with politics.
“If the voters want to go back to the old days…well then, God bless them, you know, I could just wish them the best and I’m done.”
Bednar will replace Walter Griffith as Luzerne County Controller.
Griffith agreed not to run for public office for three years as he serves probation as part of a guilty plea for illegally recording conversations.