By: MICHELLE REIFF Review Staff mreiff.eph@lnpnews.com, Staff Writer

With the primary election only days away and few contested local races, residents of the Ephrata and the surrounding area are focused on the nation’s presidential race.

Four candidates have been campaigning and engaging in heated, televised debates for months in hopes of securing the Republican nomination. Vying for the opportunity to challenge Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama this fall have been Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives; Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts; Ron Paul, U.S. representative for Texas’s 14th Congressional District; and Rick Santorum, former U.S. senator representing Pennsylvania.

Although still appearing on the ballot because of deadlines, Santorum announced just over a week ago that he has withdrawn from the race. The winner in the most states this primary season so far, Romney is in the lead. However, Gingrich and Paul have not conceded, keeping the fire in the race going as April 24, the big day, for Pennsylvania, grows closer.

As in any election, opinions and issues at hand vary. The Ephrata Review took to the downtown streets this week to find out what the community had to say.

New mother Carolyn Kirschner, restaurant manager Ben Emerson, Janice Long and Shirley Reese, all of Ephrata, as well as Stevens resident Samuel Stoltzfus and veteran and Reamstown resident Clarence Martin shared their views as they headed to their responsibilities on a breezy spring Tuesday morning.

Although their choices for the leader of the nation vary as they prepare to head to the polls, the six local residents had similar concerns regarding employment, healthcare and education. Here’s what they had to say:

Ephrata Review: Which presidential candidate do you like and why?

Kirschner: I go more the Republican route. I will vote for Romney or Ron Paul.

Emerson: Obama, because I don’t think he got a fair shake the last time. I think given the time and tools he can do it right.

Long: President Obama. I think he’s trying and just needs more time. We can’t expect people to get things accomplished in a short time.

Reese: I don’t want Obama. I’d rather have someone else because he’s just not doing it the way he should.

Stoltzfus: Since I became Christian I believe we need to pray for our government. If you look at our nation, it seems to be degrading pretty fast.

Martin: I think we ought to have a new president. I’m not happy with what is happened in Ephrata and what is happening elsewhere; they took all the factories out and there is no room for anyone.

Ephrata Review: What current issues matter most to you?

Kirschner: I am pro-life all the way around. I’ve been a counselor at a crisis center and I’ve seen both sides. It’s the choice you’ve made so you need to deal with the consequences.

Emerson: As a parent, I mainly care about healthcare and education issues.

Long: Jobs for Americans. It needs a lot of improvement. We need to keep jobs in the country.

Reese: We need better help with jobs.

Stoltzfus: (I am against) a law that you have have health care — it shouldn’t be pushed that you have to have health care. I feel like personally it’s not a free country anymore. We don’t have freedom of speech anymore.

Martin: I would like to see someone get jobs going again.

Ephrata Review: What do you think about Santorum dropping out of the race?

Kirschner: If someone’s going to drop out it’s probably better. They may be dropping out for reasons they’re not telling. I wouldn’t want them to be president if they don’t want to be there.

Emerson: It doesn’t really affect my decision. I’m glad he didn’t get any further.

Long: It wasn’t a surprise. Romney would have received the nomination anyway.

Reese: It could have made a difference in getting Obama out of there.

Stoltzfus: I don’t think that it makes much of a difference.

Martin: It gives one of the others a better chance.

Local contested races include: three Republicans competing for the nomination for representative in the General Assembly District 37 — Stephen Black, Barry McFarland and Mindy Fee.

Candidates vying to be delegates to the Republican national Convention District 16 include: Michael Brubaker, Robert Walker, Evgenia Sheaffer, Ben Sheaffer, Ann Womble, Clifford Frick, Rodney Miller, Andrew Gibson and David Dumeyer. Alternate delegate choices on the ballot are Marilyn Schnee, Ben Bradley, John Lawrence, Daniel Lafauci, Ethan Damme and Jason Scoppettuolo.

Democratic National Convention District 16 delegate choices include: Harriet Smith, Mike Sturla, Vaughn Spencer, Sally Lyall, J. Richard Gray, IsamacTorres-Figueroa and Marcy Power.

Last but not least, this spring’s primary includes election of Republican committee members. Although the Ephrata/Cocalico committees have no contested races, Ephrata Republican Committee Chairman Glen Beiler Jr. encourages those visiting the polls to vote for these two-year terms.

For those who do not know the duties of the Republican committee, Beiler explains: "Basically we interview and endorse qualified candidates for both local and county positions, school boards, borough council, township supervisor and get together as a county to endorse county offices such as judges."

Beiler adds that committee members are present at the polls on election day and send letters encouraging area residents to vote.

The Republican committees are divided by school districts.

In addition to Beiler, the current Ephrata Republican Committee members are: Lorna Ravegum, Lloyd Zeiset, Hope Stayer, William Ives, Lois Eaby, Melvin Weiler, Susan Rowe, A. Anthony Kilkuskie, Jolene Weaver, Chad Weaver, Tom Zeager, Janice Breneman, Chad Stauffer, Robert Landis, Marjorie Hornberger and Robert Miller.

Members of the Cocalico Area Republican Committee are Chairman Barry Weaver, Alecia Kloiber, Henry Kloiber, Rodney Redcay, Susan Dissinger, Margaret High, Daniel Burton, Seeran Eve Mizii, Michael McGee, Paul Keller, Deborah Keller, Betty Weaver, Terry Bergman, Karen Laudenslager, Leon Eby and Elsie Eby.

The polls will be open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Randall O. Wenger, chief registrar/chief clerk of Lancaster County Registration and Elections, announced the launch of an online sample ballot viewer on April 5. To see the sample ballot, visit co.lancaster.pa.us/elections and use the link on the election information page or go directly to ballots.co.lancaster.pa.us. More PRIMARY, page A18 Before voters step into the voting booth next Tuesday, here’s what to expect… President of the U.S.

(vote for one)

Democrat

Barack Obama

Republican

Newt Gingrich

Mitt Romney

Ron Paul

Rick Santorum

U.S. Senator

(vote for one)

Democrat

Joseph Vodvarka

Bob Casey Jr.

Republican

David Christian

Marc Scaringi

Steven Welch

Tom Smith

Sam Rohrer

Attorney General

(vote for one)

Democrat

Kathleen Kane

Patrick Murphy

Republican

David Freed

Auditor General

(vote for one)

Democrat

Eugene DePasquale

Republican

Frank Pinto

John Maher

State Treasurer

(vote for one)

Democrat

Robert McCord

Republican

Diana Irey Vaughan

Representative in Congress

District 16

(vote for one)

Democrat

Aryanna Strader

Republican

Joseph Pitts

Representative in the

General Assembly District 37

(Clay Township vote for one)

Democrat

Russell Stahley

Republican

Stephen Black

Barry McFarland

Mindy Fee

Representative in the

General Assembly District 99

(Ephrata and Akron boroughs and Ephrata Township vote for one)

Republican

Gordon Denlinger

Democrat

vacant

Delegate to the Republican National Convention District 16

(vote for not more than three)

Michael Brubaker

Robert Walker

Evgenia Sheaffer

Ben Sheaffer

Ann Womble

Clifford Frick

Rodney Miller

Andrew Gibson

David Dumeyer

Alternate Delegate to the Republican National Convention District 16

(vote for not more than three)

Marilyn Schnee

Ben Bradley

John Lawrence

Daniel Lafauci

Ethan Demme

Jason Scoppettuolo

Delegate to the Democratic National Convention District 16

(vote for not more than six – up to three men/three women)

Harriet Smith

Mike Sturla

Vaughn Spencer

Sally Lyall

J. Richard Gray

Isamac Torres-Figueroa

Marcy Power

Republican

Committee

(vote for one man and one woman)

Akron Borough – East

Lloyd Zeiset

Lorna Ravegum

Akron Borough – West

Glen Beiler Jr.

Hope Stayer

Ephrata Borough- First Ward

William Ives

Lois Eaby

Ephrata Borough- Second Ward

Melvin Weiler

Ephrata Borough – Third Ward

A. Anthony Kilkuskie

Nancy Fay Clark

Ephrata Borough – Fourth Ward

Chad Weaver

Jolene Weaver

Clay Township – North

P. Thomas Zeager

Janice Breneman

Clay Township – South

Chad Stauffer

Ephrata Township – Lincoln

Robert Landis

Ephrata Township – Murrell

J. Tyler Zerbe

Marjorie Hornberger VOTE