SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— The May Primaries are right around the corner, and as Election Day draws near, local candidates on the ballot are busy drumming up voter support.

The future of the Lackawanna County government is sparking plenty of interest. Thursday night, Eyewitness News spoke with two of the candidates on the Democratic ticket.

Supporters packed Carmella’s Italian Deli in Scranton. It’s where Matt McGloin held a campaign rally Thursday night.

“I think the great thing about having events like this is that you have the opportunity to meet people and maybe you haven’t had the chance of meeting before. You hear their thoughts, you hear their concerns, you have great healthy conversations about Lackawanna County right now, and what the future of Lackawanna County could look like,” said Matt McGloin, (D) Lackawanna County Commissioner Candidate.

This is the first time McGloin is running for an elected office. The former Penn State quarterback and retired NFL player is backed by his former coach, Jay Paterno.

“Right there is where I learned commitment, dedication, consistency to be the same person every single day to work for everything that you get in life,” McGloin explained.

Former Scranton City Council President Bill Gaughan is another Democrat on the ticket. He says he’s running for county commissioner for the same reasons he ran for office ten years ago.

“It’s to fight for the families of our area, to protect our neighborhoods, to bring good-paying jobs back to this area, to keep our young people here, protect our senior citizens and keep them in their homes, keep taxes low, and I have a record of doing that,” said Bill Gaughan (D) Lackawanna County Commissioner Candidate.

Gaughan sees his experience serving the county as an asset to his campaign.

“I know how to work and help people and be a part of a team that helps our city and our area and our county and that’s what I’m going to do if I’m elected,” Gaughan told Eyewitness News.

Other Democrats on the ballot are Incumbent Jerry Notarianni, Abington Heights School Director Phillip Robson, and Dickson City resident Michael Fedorka.

Notably, Debi Domenick will not be seeking re-election for her seat.

The Republican ticket is listed below:

  • Chris Chermak – Incumbent seeking re-election for his seat, running with Diana Campbell
  • Diana Campbell – Mayfield Borough Council President
  • Laureen Cummings – Seeking to regain her Commissioners seat 
  • Brian Reap – Former Scranton City Councilman