BUTLER TWP — Political newcomer George Shockey scored an impressive victory in Tuesday's election.

Not only did he defeat a pair of incumbents to win one of two seats on the township board of commissioners, but he was the top vote-getter.

Too bad for Shockey that he was nowhere near his home to celebrate his big day.

Instead, he was 100 miles away in Altoona on a job for the excavating company he has operated for 45 years. He left home early Tuesday morning, but not before stopping to vote himself.

"I have to keep my day job, you know," he said Tuesday night by telephone at the work site in Blair County where he's removing a fuel tank at a Sheetz store.

Shockey and fellow Republican Ben Simon, an assistant district attorney in Butler County, handily defeated incumbent Democratic commissioners Sam Zurzolo and Donna Druga.

According to unofficial results, Shockey and Simon received 2,036 and 2,033 votes, respectively. Zurzolo and Druga got 1,635 and 1,426 votes, respectively.

Shockey and Druga seemed to agree with the message voters sent.

"I think they were looking for new blood," said the 63-year-old Shockey.

"Yeah, they probably want new people," said Druga, a two-term commissioner and a retired teacher from the Butler School District. "I also think most people are just disgusted with government in general."

Simon guessed the voters were sending a mixed message — a little bit of anti-incumbent sentiment with a desire for change. Maybe too, he thought, voters wanted to give Republicans a bigger role on the board.

"My goal," he said, "was to meet the voters and get my message out. I think I did that, and in the end, I think that's why I won."

This was Simon's second foray into elected politics. In 2006, he was elected a Republican Party committeeman.

Shockey suspected his lack of political experience worked to his advantage.

"I think the voters were looking for an honest straight-shooter," he said. "That's me."

Zurzolo did not return a telephone message Tuesday night.

Shockey credited his victory largely to the recognition in the township afforded by his business. That, and a down-to-earth, almost folksy campaign style.

"My campaign was strictly common sense," he said. "I don't have an agenda. I don't have any issues."

What he has, he said, is a commitment to public service.

"If people ask questions," he said, "I'll give them answers that make sense."

Hard work is what carried the day for Simon, he said.

"I knocked on a ton of doors," he said, "and I met a lot of people. That's what you have to do. And that's what I did."

While Zurzolo, a maintenance superintendent for Oxford Development who is finishing his first term as commissioner, and Druga ran unopposed for their party's nomination in the spring, the Republican spring contest proved to be a nail-biter.

Shockey and Simon won the tightly contested primary that included Michael English, the brother of former U.S. Rep. Phil English.

Just 23 votes separated the three Republican candidates out of 2,268 ballots cast.

But Shockey said he did not emphasize his party affiliation during the fall campaign.

"I hope they voted for the person, not the party," he said of the voters.

Neither did Shockey join forces with Simon to run as a team. Far from it, in fact.

"To be honest, if Ben Simon walked up to me this very minute," Shockey said, "I wouldn't know him."

He doesn't remember if the two ever met face to face.

"But I've heard good things about him," Shockey said. "And I look forward to working with him and the other commissioners.

The same goes for Simon.

"I'm excited," he said. "I can't wait to get to work with the others."

Meanwhile, Shockey's stuck on the job in Altoona until Friday.

And how does the low-key Shockey plan to celebrate his election with family when he gets home?

"I'll probably go to McDonald's and get a hamburger."