Kinross Congratulates Sponcer on Ross Ward 3 Win; Says Race is Decided

Ross Township commissioner, Dan Kinross, said Wednesday he believes Ward 3 voters made it clear election night who they want to serve them.

"I think John Sponcer won," he said.

Unofficial results on the Allegheny County Elections Division website Wednesday put the vote totals for the race at 378 for Sponcer and 367 for Kinross, a difference of 11 votes.

That's a few votes more than , at the time candidates and party officials gathered to watch results. As of about 11 p.m. Tuesday, Sponcer had a seven-vote lead with 369 votes to Kinross' 362.

It was not immediately clear why the vote count changed. Party officials said Tuesday's reported tally did not include absentee ballots or write-in candidates, which could have been added to the county's later totals. Offices for the Allegheny County Elections Division were closed Wednesday. 

Kinross said early Wednesday he was not aware then of the changes to the totals — but also said they didn't matter much. 

"The result is still the same," he said. "Seven, nine, 11 — the electorate has made its choice."

"I'm proud of the work I did and am grateful for the opportunity to serve residents of Ross Township for the past 20 years," he said. "I congratulate John Sponcer." 

Sponcer said Wednesday he was also unaware of the changes in the vote totals.

"That's quite a bit of difference from last night," he said, after reviewing the website. 

Still, he said he didn't want to bet on the close margin quite yet. 

"When the county finally sends a letter that says I won, then I'll know I've won," he said. 

Kinross is in his 20th year on the commission and is currently its president. He owns the , which he opened in 1975 and operates in the Babcock Boulevard commercial district. 

Sponcer, a retired Comcast construction technician and volunteer firefighter—he's served both the  and the  — has lived in Ross Township for 37 years. 

Sponcer lost to Kinross in the Democratic primary but won a write-in campaign to run as a Republican in the Nov. 8 general election. 

Ward 3 primarily encompasses the Laurel Gardens neighborhood of Ross Township.

What do you think of Tuesday's election results? Do you feel the Ward 3 race is settled? Tell us in the comments. 

The original version of this article incorrectly stated that Dan Kinross was the longest-serving commissioner on the Ross Township board. Commissioner Pete Ferraro has served 22 years on the board.