Fullerton unofficial winner
Butler County prosecutor William B.T. Fullerton easily won the Republican nomination for the six-year term as district judge in Butler in Tuesday’s primary.
He also appeared to have also won the Democratic nomination, but by a much narrower margin — six votes.
If the unofficial tallies hold, the 51-year-old Fullerton is all but certain to succeed retiring District Judge Pete Shaffer, following November’s election.
“I’m very pleased,” Fullerton said. “I attribute the outcome to a lot of hard work from a lot of great people.”
State constable Robert “Bob” Geagan and trial attorney Patrick Casey finished second and third, respectively, on both tickets.
On the Republican side, Fullerton received 374 votes to Geagan’s 263 and Casey’s 205, across the city’s six precincts.
The Democratic vote showed Fullerton with 301 votes and Geagan with 295. Casey garnered 187 votes.
A first-time candidate for elected office, Fullerton said he sought votes from every neighborhood. His message seemed to resonate with voters.
“I ran on my experience,” he said, “and on my commitment to the community and on doing the right thing.”
A graduate of Duquesne University Law School, Fullerton launched his legal career in 1990 as Butler County Judge John H. Brydon’s law clerk. He researched and penned opinions on diverse legal issues while clerking until 1995.
His knowledge and work ethic caught the eye of then-District Attorney Tim McCune, who hired Fullerton as an assistant in 1996.
Casey, like Fullerton, a graduate of Duquesne Law and a first-time candidate, admitted he was disappointed by the results. But he held no regrets.
“I thought it was a clean race and a well-run race,” he said.
Geagan did not immediately return a telephone call after the ballots were counted.
Fullerton said he enjoyed his maiden campaign, particularly getting out and getting to know the electorate — one voter at a time.
“It was really rewarding,” he said, “and it was affirming to me that the vast majority of people are kind, considerate and decent.”
So what did Fullerton do to celebrate his victory Tuesday night, well after the polls closed?
“I was out picking up my campaign signs,” he said. “Just like everyone else, I hate looking at those damned things.”
