Aigner, Schmitt lead for Blair County judge
Cross-filed candidates swap top positions on both sides of ballot
Blair County judicial candidate Paula Aigner talks with former Blair County Commissioner Barry Wright during an election night gathering at the Heidelberg Country Club in Altoona. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Blair County judicial candidate Lou Schmitt talks with (from left) daughter Lauren Schmitt, supporter Sue Sidney and wife Helen Schmitt during an election night gathering at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society in Altoona. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Blair County judicial candidate John Sisto talks with campaign staffers (from left) Tommy Hooper, Nick Castellucci and supporter Scott Price during an election night gathering at the Altoona Grand Hotel. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Routch
Blair County judicial candidate Paula Aigner talks with former Blair County Commissioner Barry Wright during an election night gathering at the Heidelberg Country Club in Altoona. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Blair County judicial candidate Lou Schmitt talks with (from left) daughter Lauren Schmitt, supporter Sue Sidney and wife Helen Schmitt during an election night gathering at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society in Altoona. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Blair County judicial candidate John Sisto talks with campaign staffers (from left) Tommy Hooper, Nick Castellucci and supporter Scott Price during an election night gathering at the Altoona Grand Hotel. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Routch
Trending
State Rep. Lou Schmitt of Altoona and Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner of Hollidaysburg appear to have the Republican and Democratic nominations to become county judges, based on unofficial results in Tuesday's primary.
Votes posted by the county elections office showed Schmitt topping the Republican ballot with 7,917 votes, and Aigner taking second place with 5,545 votes, just 54 votes ahead of candidate John Sisto of Altoona.
On the Democratic ticket, Aigner came in first with 2,675 and Schmitt was second with 1,809 votes, just 32 votes ahead of Sisto.
Candidate Mike Routch of Blair Township, meanwhile, garnered 4,975 votes on the Republican ticket and 757 votes on the Democratic ticket.
Based on those results, Schmitt and Aigner will be on the November ballot, when voters will be choosing two candidates to take the bench in January.
Schmitt, celebrating at the Unter Uns Club in Altoona with friends who helped him win his first county-wide campaign for office, praised his campaign team and his fellow candidates.
"We had four of the most qualified judicial candidates in this election," Schmitt said. "No matter who won, the people of Blair County could not lose."
Aigner, who hosted a party at the Heidelberg Club for her supporters, kept a close eye on the posted results, including the Republican ticket showing her 136 votes ahead of Sisto when the county posted results from 76 of the 93 precincts.
"We've been working nonstop for the last 11 months ... and today, we got a lot of feedback from people saying: You are the most experienced candidate," Aigner said as she reviewed the votes.
As the magisterial district judge based in Hollidaysburg, Aigner has been through four elections allowing her to retain the six-year post to which she was initially appointed in 2004.
When asked if she would stay in the race if she won only the Democratic nomination where she was far ahead of her competitors, she said she would.
"I was asked that question months ago by the Democratic party and I told them then that I'd stay in the race," she said.
Attorney John Sisto said he enjoyed the experience of running for a judicial seat because it exposed him to areas of the county, especially the Cove, where he had a chance to learn about the people in that area who were very interested in learning more about the courthouse and how the courts operate.
"I'm very proud of our campaign," Sisto said. "We hit every event we could. We knocked on as many doors as we could. Between my office work and campaigning, we've been going 110 hours a week."
Sisto, an Altoona attorney for just over three decades, drew attention to his campaign with a "Courtroom Ready" slogan highlighted against bright yellow backgrounds. He also supported that slogan with a promise of being ready to go to work as a judge on Day 1, based on his familiarity with the court system due to the mix of criminal and family law cases.
Routch, an Altoona attorney for about three decades, initiated his judicial campaign early with billboards in high-traffic locations. He said he put his efforts into winning Republican votes and unlike his prior campaign in 2005, he did more door-knocking and spent more money. He also presented himself as a true conservative who campaigned in 2024 for Donald Trump's return to the nation's presidency, a quest that 46,352 Blair County voters supported in November.
Schmitt said that he was impressed by the voters throughout the county who recalled him from his days as a basketball player at Altoona Area High School, nearly 50 years ago.
"I got that reaction not only in Altoona but also in the Cove, and in Tyrone, and Bellwood, Claysburg ... everywhere I campaigned," Schmitt said.
He also said that in the last two to three weeks, he was hearing of support for Aigner who he deemed to be picking up momentum in her campaign.
"I think she was underestimated, but I knew she was going to do well," he said.
Schmitt praised his "Lou's Crew" of about 50 volunteers for contributing to his successful run for judge.
"This tonight was the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people," Schmitt said.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.