Three progressive, first-time candidates are the apparent winners in the 2021 State College Borough Council election.
Gopal Balachandran, Divine Lipscomb and Richard Biever each had more than double the votes of Republican candidate Jacob Werner with all precincts partially reporting as of 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
“While the results are not what we had hoped, our campaign showed that a message can transcend party lines,” Werner wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “We brought many people together from across both parties to build a message of inclusivity, community safety, and fiscal transparency. I want to thank neighbors who supported me on this journey, and all neighbors who were kind and thoughtful in our discussions.”
Biever wrote in a Facebook post that he is “excited to serve with” Balachandran, Lipscomb and Ezra Nanes, who won the State College mayor election in an uncontested race.
The three Democratic council candidates ran together on the Central PA United slate, part of the PA United PAC dedicated to “people-funded campaigns” and candidates with diverse life experiences.
Balachandran is an assistant professor of clinical law at Penn State and former public defender..
Lipscomb is a Penn State adult student, restorative justice advocate and founder of Corrective Gentleman, an alternatives to incarceration and reentry program.
Biever is the owner and director of FUSE Productions and Singing Onstage and an assistant professor of theater at Penn State.
The trio will replace current council members Theresa Lafer and Evan Myers, who were term-limited and cannot run again for two years, and Katherine Yeaple, who did not advance out of the primary.
Nanes is director of business development at AccuWeather and a former state Senate candidate.
“Tonight, I am so proud of State College, our Townships, and our State College Area School District,” Nanes wrote on Twitter on early Wednesday morning. “Our community voted its values and stood for inclusivity, equity, and vision. I am so excited to be a part of creating our future with all of our newly elected officials!
“Thank you for your confidence and support, State College. I am truly honored to serve you.”
Nanes will succeed Ronald Filippelli as mayor. Filippelli has served in the role since December 2019, when he was appointed to fill the vacancy created by former Mayor Donald Hahn’s election as magisterial district judge. Filippelli ran for borough council in the May primary, but did not win enough votes for a Democratic nomination and declined a Republican write-in nomination.
Centre County received 10,881 mail-in ballots by 8 p.m. on Tuesday. About 8,700 were included in the unofficial vote totals posted by the Elections Office on Tuesday night. The remaining ballots were to be counted on Wednesday.
State College Borough Council
Gopal Balachandran (D) 2,603
B. Divine Lipscomb (D) 2,482
Richard Biever (D) 2,477
Jacob R. Werner (R) 1,071
Write-ins 82
State College Mayor
Ezra Nanes (D) 2,805
Write-ins 140
