BUTLER TOWNSHIP — Four decades after Fred Vero became the youngest person to ever be elected mayor of Butler, he's back on the ballot — but this time in Butler Township.

Vero, 71, secured a spot in the race for two seats on the Butler Township Board of Commissioners in November, according to unofficial write-in vote tallies released Monday by county officials.

Vero won 91 write-in votes in the Democratic primary, according to the county's tally. On Tuesday he said that the decision to run a write-in campaign was made about a week before the primary election, after a friend pointed out that the Democratic primary was empty.

“I wasn't sure because I've been out of it for so long,” Vero said. “I talked to a couple friends and my wife, and we (decided to) give it a shot.”

Vero, who currently serves on the township's planning commission, said he used Facebook to get the word out about his decision to run in the primary, and is “truly honored” to have won a spot on November's ballot.

“It was a last-minute decision, and to learn that we led the write-in tally ... I was very happy that in such a short time we were successful,” he said.

Vero's last term in public office ended in 1980, when he resigned as mayor of Butler after two years. After resigning from office, Vero went on to serve as chief of staff to state Rep. Joe Steighner and Guy Travaglio for a combined 18½ years. He retired from Harrisburg and for the next decade went to work part-time as a courier with NexTier Bank before retiring from that job last year. Before his election as mayor, Vero had also served on city council and as city controller.

Vero's write-in win turns a noncompetitive re-election campaign for Republican incumbents Sam Zurzolo and Charles Nedz into a real race, with three candidates vying for two seats on the board.

Zurzolo, who was the leading vote-getter in the Republican primary, also won a spot on the Democratic side of November's ballot with 45 write-in votes.