All incumbents win Berks races; Medaglia trounces Democratic foe

Familiar names will continue to lead Berks County government in 2012 and beyond as voters re-elected every incumbent on the ballot for countywide offices on Tuesday.

All three incumbent commissioners — Republicans Mark C. Scott and Christian Y. Leinbach and Democrat Kevin S. Barnhardt — won new four-year terms to the three-member board. The odd-man out was Democrat David J. Batdorf, who finished a distant fourth.

Leinbach, who won his second term, was the top vote-getter with 28,958 votes, followed by Scott (who won a fifth term) with 27,556 and Barnhardt (winning a second term) with 22,973. Batdorf, making a second run for a commissioner’s seat, trailed with 17,392 votes.

The votes are final but unofficial until elections officials certify the numbers.

The most closely watched race in Berks this year was for register of wills, with incumbent Republican Larry Medaglia Jr. facing a well-financed challenge from Reading attorney Bernardo Carbajal.

Medaglia received 30,067 votes to win a fifth four-year term. Carbajal, who accused Medaglia of running up large deficits in the register of wills office, trailed with 19,368 votes.

Berks County Democrats perceived Medaglia as vulnerable after he lost a special election earlier this year for a vacant state Senate seat held by the late Sen. Mike O’Pake. Medaglia lost that race in the heavily Democratic 11th Senate District to former Berks County Commissioner Judy Schwank, but showed his popularity with voters countywide by easily defeating Carbajal.

In the race for Berks County sheriff, incumbent Republican Eric J. Weaknecht easily defeated Democrat Daniel P. Billings to win a second term. Weaknecht finished with 33,433 votes to 17,629 for Billings.

Weaknecht has served in the Berks County sheriff's department for 26 years, beginning his career in 1984 as a deputy sheriff.

Billings was a 27-year veteran of the Wyomissing Police Department and is currently the director of security and transportation for St. Joseph Medical Center.

All the other row office races on Tuesday's ballot were uncontested:

• Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, a Democrat, received 37, 346 votes to win a second term.

• Recorded of Deeds Frederick C. Sheeler, also a Democrat, finished with 34,743 votes to win a second term.

• Berks County Controller Sandy Graffius, a Republican, received 35,512 votes to win a third term.

• Clerk of Courts James P. Troutman, also a Republican, finished with 37,996 votes to win his seventh term.

Four Berks County Court of Common Pleas judges seeking retention for an additional 10 years on the court were approved by the voters.

Judge Peter W. Schmehl received 28,875 "yes" votes to 9,086 "no" votes for retention. Judge Jeffrey K. Sprecher received 26,905 "yes" votes to 9,500 “no” votes. Judge Mary Ann Campbell received 26,725 "yes" votes to 9,688 "no" votes. Judge Thomas G. Parisi received 26,642 "yes" votes to 9,755 "no" votes.