TOWANDA, Pa. — It's a Republican matchup in the race for Bradford County district attorney.
Current D.A. Albert Ondrey is not running after being appointed in 2021.
Republican James Nasatka has held the position of assistant district attorney for Bradford County since 2020.
"Being a person that takes a tough-on-crime approach in a small area, my father was a police officer in our hometown, and he always instilled in me a sense for justice and really wanting to keep a small town safe," Nasatka said.
Also on the ballot is another Republican—Richard Wilson, a Bradford County native who has been a criminal attorney for 25 years. Wilson opened his own practice in 1998, tackling cases from murder to traffic offenses.
"I decided I wanted to do this because it felt like the next step for me. I'm 52 years old, and criminal law is what I do, and I think I am the candidate with 25 years of experience where I can bring that experience, be tough on crime, and back it up with that experience," Wilson said.
The district attorney's office has seen turmoil in recent years. Former D.A. Chad Salsman was arrested and charged in 2021 with sex crimes and abusing his position of power. He eventually pleaded guilty in the case and resigned. He was sentenced to state prison.
Nasatka was already working in the office at the time.
"It was tumultuous because we didn't know what was going to happen. We didn't know where anything was going to go and what was going to become of the office, but luckily, we came through the rest of it whole," said Nasatka.
"I want to restore the trust of my fellow residents in that office and continue to work in that direction. Time will tell if I am able to do that," said Wilson.
Both candidates say some of the issues they want to focus on if elected are tackling the drug epidemic and domestic violence within the county.
"The drugs people are using in Bradford County are getting harder; the crime is getting more severe, and it ripples across all the different parts of the county. All sorts of problems; we have drugs and alcohol (that) factor into domestic violence, sexual abuse crimes, and drugs and alcohol factor into the crimes of violence," Wilson said.
"We have a little of everything. We have burglary, domestic violence. Domestic violence is always a hot-button issue for me, especially when you're trying to convince a victim that they don't have to live like that. We are here to help them, and we do have the resources if they are willing to come forward and fight with us," Nasatka said.
There are no Democrats on the ballot, so the winner in next week's primary is likely to become the next district attorney in Bradford County.
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