Voters give Capello 5th term as Lebanon mayor, elect Wilson, Haitos to city council

Unofficial results for Tuesday, Nov. 4, Lebanon mayoral and city council elections are in, and voters appear to have reelected two incumbents and returned to office a former one-term councilman who lost an earlier bid for reelection.

Both races were notable for the absence of any controversy, acrimony, or hot-button issues.

Capello will serve another four years as mayor

Lebanon voters returned incumbent Republican mayor Sherry Capello to a fifth term as the city’s chief executive in a comfortable victory over Democratic challenger Cesar Liriano.

Unofficial election night results showed Capello beating Liriano by 353 votes, 1,984 to 1,631, a 55% to 45% margin. There were 19 write-in votes

Capello ran on her record of fiscal responsibility, no tax increases for 10 straight years, lower crime, and recreational improvements.

This was the second time Capello and Liriano have squared off for the city’s highest office. Capello previously beat Liriano in the November 2021 mayoral election.

Speaking by telephone from Lebanon’s Steitz Club after the results were in, Capello told LebTown, “I’m just so proud of my whole team’s effort. We worked very hard from day one to the very end. We had a very positive campaign and now we just want to get the job done. We have a lot more work to do.”

She thanked voters for continuing to put their faith in her. “I’m just so humbled and grateful,” she said.

Liriano and his supporters gathered at Lebanon’s Downtown Lounge after the polls closed. He acknowledged Capello’s unofficial 353-vote lead, but declined to concede at that point, citing what he thought might be a discrepancy between the number of mail-in ballots he and successful city council candidate Cornell Wilson had received.

“If that is the result, that will be fine with me,” he said. “But we’ll have to wait a little bit to see.”

Nevertheless, Liriano said his campaign accomplished something, even in defeat. “So many people came out who didn’t want to vote before because they think government doesn’t represent them,” he said. “Now, our campaign showed them that that can change.”

Liriano thanked Capello for running a civil campaign and pledged to work with her, regardless of the eventual outcome of Tuesday’s election.

“We have to think that we are all together in this,” he said. “We all live in Lebanon. We have to help each other to make our lives easier.”

Wilson tops council race, Haitos second

For the two open Lebanon City Council seats, former Democratic city councilman Cornell Wilson received 1,955 votes and Republican incumbent Karen Haitos received 1,601. Republican newcomer Angelina Marko came in third with 1,514 votes.

Wilson and Haitos will be sworn in for four-year terms in January.

Last night was the second time Wilson has been elected to city council. He previously served from 2016 to 2020, but lost his bid for reelection.

Wilson is president and co-founder of Making a Difference of Lebanon, PA, a nonprofit service organization. He also served on the Lebanon school board.

Speaking at the Downtown Lounge after being declared a winner, Wilson thanked his supporters and pledged to work for all city residents.

“I just want to thank the Lebanon city voters who put their confidence in me,” he told LebTown. “But even if you didn’t vote for me, I’ll be working for the whole city, not just people who voted for me.”

LebTown reached Haitos by text message. “I’m really happy to be back on council for a second term,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working with Cornell … especially with Sherry still at the helm.”

Haitos added that Wilson “did a great job of getting the vote out, especially the mail-in ballots. Double / triple what I was able to do.”