Stafford Regular Republican Club Endorses Mayor John Spodofora, But Only Half Of Current Council

by Steve Moran

The Stafford Township Regular Republican Club Monday night endorsed Mayor John Spodofora and the majority of his choices for running mates for the upcoming June 2 primary and, if chosen, the November general election at Monday night’s meeting.

President Marie-Elena Sodeikes said the club voted to endorse Spodofora for mayor, along with current council members Sharon McKenna, Steve Fessler and Bob Kusznikow. They also chose local business owners Dave Taylor and Paul Marchal and retired US Marine Corps Col. Alan Smith, she said.

Current Councilman Henry Mancini - who was also seeking the Republican endorsement as mayor - along with council members Lori Wyrsch and Paul Krier, were not chosen.

Wyrsch and Krier have been seen as allies of Mancini’s in the past. It became very apparent at a council meeting earlier this month when Wyrsch again failed to be appointed Council President when Spodofora abstained for the second time. The vote was again deadlocked at 3-3. McKenna, Fessler and Kuszikow voted “No”, while Mancini, Wyrsch and Krier voted “Yes”

The meeting then erupted into a shouting match between the two sides, with the mayor ending it by saying he would call for another vote at the next meeting.

Despite those fireworks, Sodeikes said the selection went smoothly and “exceptionally well.” “There was no shouting, it was a nice meeting,” she said.

Marchal and Taylor had run against the Spodofora team in the last election and were often vocal critics of the current administration. Despite this, in an e-mail to club members last week the mayor endorsed their candidacy along with former school board member Peter Slomkowski.

Smith beat out Slomkowski in a runoff as they were tied at the end of the first round of voting, said Sodeikes.

“I asked that those selected work as a team and be professionals,” said Sodeikes.

The selected candidates will now get the financial and organizational support of the club ahead of the June 2 primary election, when all registered Republicans in town can go to the polls to vote for nominees in the November general election.

Sodeikes said she was uncertain if the three current council members not selected will choose to run in the primary.