Facts don't lie -- and here are the only worthy ones from today's Herald-Standard election night stories:
According to unofficial election results, with 98 out of 98 precincts reporting, Ambrosini received 9,256 votes, or 36 percent of the Democratic tallies. Zapotosky received 8,561 votes, or 33 percent, receiving the second party nomination. Vicites received 8,040 votes, and 31 percent.
According to unofficial election results with 98 out of 98 precincts reporting, Zimmerlink was the top vote-getter for the Republican nomination with 2,743 tallies, or 40 percent while Lohr received 2,274 votes and 33 percent. Cellurale secured 1,833 votes and 27 percent.
So despite the newspaper's shameful editorial endorsements, which were painfully unfair to Democratic newcomer Al Ambrosini and incumbent Republican Angela M. Zimmerlink, voters here in the patch -- and throughout Fayette County -- showed the door to incumbent Democrat Vince Vicites and Republican wannabe Marilyn Celllurale.
The newspaper's endorsement of Vicites and Cellurale was so hearty -- or should we say foolhardy? -- that folks here in the patch wondered if they weren't wearing Vicites T-shirts and hoisting Cellurale signs as they put fingers to keyboard.
As we predicted a week ago, the Democratic race turned into an every-man-for-himself affair, in which the Vicites-Zapotosky "team" unraveled. (While we erred in picking Vicites as the likely survivor, we were correct in stating that teams never win.) This marks the second time that Zapotosky's running mate didn't make it, so anyone who is approached about doing this in the future should view it as the kiss of death.
On the Republican side, we never doubted for a minute that Zimmerlink would prevail, although the Herald-Standard threw everything but the kitchen sink her way. What the newspaper has done to her since she raised questions about using tax dollars to fund Fayette County TV is nothing short of the consummate hatchet job. She remains the county's premiere watch dog, a truly independent elected official who refuses to accept campaign contributions from outside her immediate family, and we're glad to see that voters acknowledge that fact.
It is a huge accomplishment for Ambrosini to bitch-slap the team that claimed to be "getting things done," dispatching four-termer Vicites in the process. It will be interesting to see if Zapotosky, a one-termer who probably hasn't worn out his welcome as much as Vicites, is able to survive in the fall. A key to that will be whether Lohr, who has run for commissioner multiple times dating back to 1995, and who came closest running as an independent aligned with former commissioner Sean Cavanagh, can pull a Bob Casey Sr. and finally win the spot he's coveted.
Unlike Vicites and Zapotosky, who need a paycheck and don't know how to do much exept press the flesh, Ambrosini really doesn't need the job. He's retired and is financially secure, which means he will be able to make decisions based on what is right, not on how many votes he may gain or lose. In that respect, he mirrors Zimmerlink, who has never had the support of any of the county's entrenched political infrastrucutre -- and who keeps proving that when you do the right things, it really isn't needed.
On Election Day, we were happy to see that the ones who were really "getting things done" were Zimmerlink and Ambrosini.
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