The agony of defeat is sinking in for many candidates Wednesday, including a Luzerne County judge voters refused to retain in the midst of a corruption scandal rocking Luzerne County.
Judge Peter Paul Olszewski lost his bid to win a second ten-year term on the bench. It's now up to Governor Rendell to appoint a replacement for his seat on the bench come January.
"I thought we put on a good campaign. We reminded the voters of my record, of all of my accomplishments and it was a tough atmosphere to run for retention. It just didn't work out," Olszewski said after the vote.
Judge Tom Burke keeps his job on the bench in Luzerne County. Voters approved another 10-year term for the man first elected in 1999.
Three candidates were seeking two other judge seats in Luzerne County. William Amesbury was the top vote getter followed by fellow Democrat Tina Polacheck Gartley. They will both be the new judges.
Republican Richard Hughes came in third.
The judge races came after two former judges were charged in the on-going corruption investigation. Many believe the scandal affected vote 2009.
The change under the dome of the courthouse in Luzerne County is a topic many are talking about since they woke up and learned the news of who is in and who is out when it comes to judges.
Will the changes mean an end to corruption at the courthouse?
The election results were the topic of conversation at the breakfast table today.
One hot spot was Austie's Family Restaurant in Hanover Township. Customers conversed over coffee about what many considered the hottest races in our area, the ones for judge in Luzerne County.
"I think he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I think he got the wrong publicity about it and the way everything was going in the valley here," Frank Brojakowski of Plymouth Township said of Olzsewski's defeat.
"Courthouse definitely needed a change. Every day you'd pick the paper up you'd get sick of reading the headlines at the courthouse," said Chuck Davis of Hanover Township.
Do new faces on the bench mean new changes at the courthouse?
"No. Not yet. It's been going on so long you have to clean everything out. We don't know what's going to happen yet," Brojakowski added.
"I'm not sure it's going to change anything but I hope it does change it," said Lean Jones of Newport Township.
"There will be changes. Bill's a good man," Davis said.
As for Judge Olszewski, who many would agree ran a race in a storm where corruption rained on the courthouse, he is already trying to move forward.
"Before I ran for district attorney I had a successful private practice of law. I look forward to returning to private practice as a trial lawyer in both the civil and criminal arenas," Olszewski said.
When asked if negative publicity about him influenced the voters h said that is a topic for another day.
Judge Peter Paul Olszewski lost his bid to win a second ten-year term on the bench. It's now up to Governor Rendell to appoint a replacement for his seat on the bench come January.
"I thought we put on a good campaign. We reminded the voters of my record, of all of my accomplishments and it was a tough atmosphere to run for retention. It just didn't work out," Olszewski said after the vote.
Judge Tom Burke keeps his job on the bench in Luzerne County. Voters approved another 10-year term for the man first elected in 1999.
Three candidates were seeking two other judge seats in Luzerne County. William Amesbury was the top vote getter followed by fellow Democrat Tina Polacheck Gartley. They will both be the new judges.
Republican Richard Hughes came in third.
The judge races came after two former judges were charged in the on-going corruption investigation. Many believe the scandal affected vote 2009.
The change under the dome of the courthouse in Luzerne County is a topic many are talking about since they woke up and learned the news of who is in and who is out when it comes to judges.
Will the changes mean an end to corruption at the courthouse?
The election results were the topic of conversation at the breakfast table today.
One hot spot was Austie's Family Restaurant in Hanover Township. Customers conversed over coffee about what many considered the hottest races in our area, the ones for judge in Luzerne County.
"I think he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I think he got the wrong publicity about it and the way everything was going in the valley here," Frank Brojakowski of Plymouth Township said of Olzsewski's defeat.
"Courthouse definitely needed a change. Every day you'd pick the paper up you'd get sick of reading the headlines at the courthouse," said Chuck Davis of Hanover Township.
Do new faces on the bench mean new changes at the courthouse?
"No. Not yet. It's been going on so long you have to clean everything out. We don't know what's going to happen yet," Brojakowski added.
"I'm not sure it's going to change anything but I hope it does change it," said Lean Jones of Newport Township.
"There will be changes. Bill's a good man," Davis said.
As for Judge Olszewski, who many would agree ran a race in a storm where corruption rained on the courthouse, he is already trying to move forward.
"Before I ran for district attorney I had a successful private practice of law. I look forward to returning to private practice as a trial lawyer in both the civil and criminal arenas," Olszewski said.
When asked if negative publicity about him influenced the voters h said that is a topic for another day.
