Democrat Facing Lower Merion Board President in Primary

The prospect of competing against Liz Rogan, the Democratic president of Lower Merion’s Board of Commissioners, has inspired the township’s only primary election challenge this year.

Tuesday afternoon was the filing deadline for the seven Board of Commissioners seats up for election this year: Ward 1 (Merion Station, Wynnewood, Gladwyne, Penn Valley), Ward 5 (North Ardmore, Wynnewood), Ward 7 (Wynnewood), Ward 13 (Merion Station, Bala Cynwyd), Ward 3 (Belmont Hills, Penn Valley, Bala Cynwyd), Ward 9 (Bala Cynwyd) and Ward 11 (Bryn Mawr, Gladwyne, Rosemont).

The seven even-numbered seats will be contested in 2013.

Democrat Harold Erfer will compete against Rogan May 17 for the Ward 7 nomination. And in Ward 13, the seat to which Democrat Brian McGuire was appointed in January, the Republican challenger is Lou Barson, proprietor of Hymie’s Merion Delicatessen in Merion Station.

Elsewhere, Republican Trish Hueber will oppose newly appointed Ward 1 Commissioner Daniel Bernheim, a Democrat, and Ward 5’s Cheryl Gelber—the Democrat with whom Republicans get along best—is unopposed.

Republican incumbent Lew Gould of Ward 11 also is unopposed.

Below is the full list of candidates. Incumbents are listed first in each ward.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Harold Erfer's political party. He is a Democrat.