There will be at least one new person heading Westmoreland County government next year since only two of the three county commissioners are seeking re-election.

In the five other countywide races in the May 15 primary election, incumbents have no opposition.

Incumbent Commissioners Tom Balya, of Greensburg, and Thomas C. Ceraso, of New Kensington, comprising the board's Democratic majority, are joined on the primary ballot for the two nominations by Virginia Oplinger, of South Greensburg, making her second bid for the commissioner's office.

Seeking the two Republican nominations are George Dunbar, of Penn Township; Wayne P. McGrew, of Sewickley Township; Michael Reese, of Mount Pleasant Township; and Kim Ward, of Hempfield

Incumbent minority commissioner, Republican Phil Light, 62, chose not to run for another term.

Mr. Light, a former county tax assessor from Laurel Mountain, where he had served as mayor, was appointed to the board of commissioners in October 2004 by a panel of county judges to serve the three years remaining in the term of Republican Terry Marolt, who died a month before.

Mr. Balya, 49, is running on his experience of three terms in office and 13 years of public- and private-sector experience before that.

Since taking office in 1996, he said, he had worked to manage county government efficiently, to open county government to its citizens, to minimize the tax burden while maximizing important services, and to improve the economic climate of the county.

Mr. Ceraso, 43, is seeking his third term as commissioner.

He said that since his election in 2000, Westmoreland County had seen several positive changes such as marked economic development, the paring down of operating expenses, stabilized taxes, employee contributions to insurance and improvements in safety service communication.

Also on the ballot is Ms. Oplinger, 71, who retired from Westmoreland Manor in 2001. She first sought elective office in the Democratic primary for commissioner in 2003, finishing third in the four-candidate race for the two nominations.

Breaking from tradition, the Westmoreland County Republican Committee voted last month to endorse primary election candidates, giving the nods to Mr. Dunbar and Ms. Ward, both elected officials in their respective municipalities. The endorsements were seen as an indication the party will be aggressive in the general election to try to capture the majority on the board. The last time Republicans accomplished that feat in Westmoreland County was in 1956.

Mr. Dunbar, 46, of Penn Township, first ran for office two years ago when he was elected township commissioner. A 1993 graduate of Robert Morris University, Mr. Dunbar is a self-employed certified public accountant. Formerly, he was chief financial officer and vice president of Wright Industries, an underground utility contractor.

He said a major platform in his campaign was fiscal conservatism, something he said he was well-suited to accomplishing, given what he's done in the township and with his background as a CPA and in running a business.

He said he wanted improved communications from the county to local government entities and more business growth to diversify the county's tax structure.

Ms. Ward, 50, is chairwoman of the Hempfield supervisors, having been elected to a six-year term in 2001.

A former respiratory therapist, she has served as the county Republican Party chairwoman and, in 2002, was director of the governor's office for southwestern Pennsylvania. The next year, she started a political consulting company, counting among her clients U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum in his unsuccessful bid for re-election. She also served as regional field director for the Bush-Cheney slate in 2004.

She said she was running for office because, as a local government official, she sees the need for more collaboration between the county and municipalities in areas such as economic development and transportation. She believes social services, particularly the children's bureau, deserve more attention from commissioners.

Mr. Reese, 29, of Mt. Pleasant Township, served as Mr. Marolt's chief of staff and, when Mr. Marolt died, Mr. Light asked him to stay on in the same post.

He has a master's degree in business administration from Seton Hill University and formerly worked as a teacher/counselor at Pressley Ridge Ohiopyle Therapeutic Wilderness Camp.

Mr. Reese said his experience in working in human services would serve him well as a commissioner. He said he was interested in being proactive in budget matters so as to provide citizens services at the lowest cost possible.

This is the first elective bid for Wayne P. McGrew, 39, of Sewickley Township, a lawyer in general practice in Greensburg.

Mr. McGrew, a former FBI agent and Westmoreland County assistant district attorney, said he was running on a platform of public safety and fiscal responsibility, particularly as it relates to the awarding of contracts and the hiring of consultants.

In other countywide races, Controller Carmen Pedicone, of Jeannette, and Sheriff Chris Scherer, of Lower Burrell, both Democrats, face no opposition on their party's ticket and no Republicans filed for their races.

Other Democratic incumbents, Treasurer Kathalyn O'Brien, of Hempfield; Recorder of Deeds Tom Murphy, of Arnold; and Register of Wills Earl S. Keim II, of Youngwood, have no opponents in the primary.

Likewise with no primary election opposition are Republicans Frank E. Schiefer, of Hempfield, who is running for treasurer; Patrick D. Laughlin, of Greensburg, who is running for recorder of deeds; and Wayne Doptis, of Monessen, who is seeking the register of wills post.