Center Township voters used their voice Tuesday, May 20, to narrow the six Republican candidates for supervisor down to two that will advance to the November election, according to unofficial election results reported in Butler County Bureau of Elections summary reports.

Newcomer Mark Lauer and incumbent Alan Smallwood are moving forward to compete against the sole Democratic candidate, Tom Schiebel, who went unopposed in the primary election and received 445 votes.

In total, Lauer led with 612 votes, followed by Smallwood with 425 votes.

“I’m very appreciative and I thank everybody. I am excited to get through the fall election and begin working with the board,” Lauer said.

Lauer also said he was greatly appreciative of all the people he got to meet today.

“It was a close race,” Smallwood said. “I think we’ll have to push harder for the next one. I want to thank everyone who came out to vote today and support me.”

Four candidates, Michael Pflugh, Nick Angiolieri, Ronald Flatt and Randy Corlew, did not receive enough votes to proceed to the general election.

Trailing behind the top two came Pflugh with 377 votes, Angiolieri with 226 votes, Flatt with 184 votes and Corlew with 167 votes.

Lauer previously worked at an oil refinery in Petrolia and spent almost 18 years as the public works director for Center Township. If elected in November, he said his biggest goal will be to improve the public works department.

If Smallwood is elected in November, it will be his third term on the board of supervisors. Prior to his time on the board, he worked as an excavator.

The Democratic candidate, Schiebel has served in various roles in Center Township government, such as on the zoning hearing board and as a supervisor. He is the vice chairman of the township planning commission.

Voters will get to choose two of the three remaining candidates to represent the township on Nov. 4.