Denise Williams resigns as Luzerne County Election Board chair; announces run for council

Denise Williams announced Wednesday she is stepping down as Luzerne County Election Board chairwoman, effective immediately, because she is running for county council.

Williams conveyed the news at the end of the board meeting.

The four remaining board members must select her replacement under the county’s home rule charter structure.

This structure requires council to appoint four members — two Republicans and two Democrats. The four council-appointed members then select a citizen of any political affiliation or no affiliation to fill the fifth seat, which is also the chairmanship.

Williams, a Democrat, was unanimously selected to fill the fifth chairmanship seat in April 2021 by four prior election board members. She already had announced she would not be seeking reappointment when her board term expires April 20 next year.

Williams had said she has met goals to implement many protocols and procedures during her chairmanship, including a transparent adjudication structure.

On Wednesday night, Williams said her resignation will take effect at the completion of the meeting and that serving as chair for three years has been an honor.

Serving on the board requires a significant responsibility and time commitment, and she said county citizens were always her priority.

“I always gave 100% at all times during my service,” she added.

Williams said she regularly referenced a personal code of conduct and set goals to ensure fair and impartial elections, follow the law, make decisions “through the lens of nonpartisanship,” and continue improving elections.

She also highlighted her strong work ethic and organizational skills.

Republican board member Rick Morelli thanked Williams for her service and said it’s “not an easy position.”

“You are extremely thorough. No question about that,” Morelli said. “You’ve done a very good job.”

Vice Chairwoman Alyssa Fusaro, the other Republican, also thanked Williams for “everything you’ve done for the board and bureau.”

“I’ve never met somebody so thorough,” Fusaro said.

Board member Albert Schlosser, a Democrat, said he learned a lot from Williams. He said the chairmanship is a “tough position.”

“The people of Luzerne County are very lucky to have someone of your caliber. You’re the best,” he said.

Democrat Daniel Schramm, the remaining member, was absent Wednesday.

Five of 11 county council seats will be on the ballot in 2025. These seats are currently held by Republicans Chris Perry, council Chairman John Lombardo, Gregory S. Wolovich Jr., council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton and Kevin Lescavage.

Williams said after Wednesday’s meeting she stepped down now because she does not want any appearance of a conflict in her upcoming campaign. She also wanted to provide the board with ample time to seek and select a new chair member before preparations pick up for the May 20 primary election.

Primary election candidates can start circulating their nomination petitions on Feb. 18 and must file them by March 11 to appear on the ballot.

The board had unanimously added a chairperson selection procedure to its bylaws in June, as proposed by Williams. It formalized a past procedure of publicly advertising the seat and interviewing applicants using questions pre-determined by the board and reviewed by the county law office.

Under the charter, the four board members will have a 60-day window to select a fifth member/chair by majority. It’s unclear if council must declare the seat vacant before the 60-day clock starts. Because a majority vote of at least three members is required for the selection, the choice must have some bipartisan support.

If a selection is not made within 60 days, any resident may petition the county Court of Common Pleas to fill the seat.