2009 Erie County Executive election

The 2009 Erie County Executive election was held on November 3, 2009. Incumbent Democratic County Executive Mark A. DiVecchio ran for re-election to a second term. However, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by restaurant owner Barry Grossman. In the general election, Grossman faced Mike Kerner, a manufacturing executive and the Republican nominee. Grossman narrowly defeated Kerner, winning by a 343-vote margin. The closeness of the race, coupled with the discovery of several uncounted voting machines two days after the election, meant that the race was not immediately called, and Kerner initially declined to concede.^[1]

• Barry Grossman, restaurant owner, 2005 candidate for Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania, former professor^[2]
• Mark A. DiVecchio, incumbent County Executive^[2]
• Anthony Andrezeski, former State Senator^[2]

During the campaign, both Grossman and Andrezeski attacked DiVecchio for his conduct as County Executive. Grossman criticized him for moving too slowly in establishing a local community college.^[2] Andrezeski recorded several videos, posted to YouTube, in which he accused DiVecchio of being "corrupt," "incompetent," and "in over his head," and suggested that he had spread rumors about the personal life of County Controller Sue Weber after she accused him of misusing county resources. DiVecchio condemned the videos as "absolutely, positively disgusting," and saying that Andrezeski "should be ashamed of himself."^[3]

• Mike Kerner, manufacturing executive^[2]
• Gil Rocco, accountant and computer consultant^[2]