Christopher St. John and John C. Reed will be handing down decisions, rulings and sentences as the two newest judges of the Mercer County Court of Common Pleas.

In unofficial election results Tuesday night, St. John, with 19,058 votes, and Reed, with 14,458 votes, won seats on the bench. Democrat Stephen Mirizio lost by about 3,300 votes with 11,164.

"I'm pleased that both parties were able to put aside partisan politics and vote based on credentials," said St. John, a Democrat, who won with 42.63 percent of the vote. He also thanked his wife, children, relatives, in-laws and family and "the thousands of people who said so many nice things about me."
"And to all those who put signs up in their yards, if you have those signs, please take them and throw them away," he said.

St. John laughed with his supporters Tuesday night at the Sharpsville Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. He hugged his family, danced with small children, shook hands and laughed as people referred to him as "Your Honor."

St. John won Republican and Democratic nominations in the primary.

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