Moon School Board Nominees Eye November General Election

 candidate Laura Jo Schisler, huddled beside her running mates last night, watched election results from a TV at

She said she was pleased with what she saw on the screen. After Tuesday's , she and her running mates on the Citizens for Education ticket won the Republican nominations for school board seats.  Michael Olszewski, a member of the ticket, also ousted school board member Nicholas Pollack from a Democratic nomination for the board. 

"It's encouraging," Schisler said. "The turnout was disappointing, but it's still exciting." 

Despite low voter turnout in the race -- according to estimates,  fewer than 20 percent of registered Allegheny County voters cast  ballots -- members of the ticket seemed energized by the  election results. 

"Now it's five [opponents] to go," said Samuel Kay Tranter, a former school board member who again is seeking the position. Tranter said after Tuesday's primary that his ticket was "focused" on campaigning for much of the rest of the year. 

"Now it's just looking toward November," he said. 

In November, the ticket will run against Democratic nominees and incumbent school board members Mark Scappe, Rosemarie Varsanick, Lisa Wolowicz and James Donohue, and Danny Barefoot, who is not a board member.  

Pollack  lost both the Democratic and Republican nominations. Jonathan DeVore, who was not running on a ticket, also failed to secure a nomination. Candidates running for school board positions in Pennsylvania are permitted to cross-file as Democrats and Republicans. 

"I'm definitely disappointed in the turnout," said current board President Mark Scappe, outside of , where he and fellow members of the board watched the results. "It's critical that residents get out and vote.

"I'm disappointed that Nick [Pollack] didn't get the Democratic nomination," Scappe said. "He will be missed." 

Scappe said members of his ticket also are looking forward to November's general election.