Welsh wins district judge race in Limerick area

A close race for a district justice seat in Limerick ended Tuesday with Democratic candidate Richard Welsh claiming victory.

Vying for the open seat for District Court 38-1-19 were candidates Welsh, 48, and Republican James Crawford, 52. According to unofficial election results, Welsh came out on top in a close race with 3,484 total votes to Crawford’s 3,309. Welsh secured 51.28 percent of the votes against Crawford’s 48.7 percent.

Inthe primary, Welshand Crawford were among four candidates vying for the open seat.

Welsh, originally from Philadelphia, attended high school at William Penn Charter School and continued his education at American University in Washington, D.C., where he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in finance in 1990. Welsh later obtained his law degree from Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa and went on to serve as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia un- der Lynne Abraham. In 2000 he joined the law firm Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin in Blue Bell, practicing real estate and municipal law. He then worked for the law offices of Robert A . Stutman in Fort Washington and left in 2009 to open Barrister’s Bagel Company in Royersford.

Welsh will be filling the seat left vacant by retiring District Judge Walter F. Gadzicki.

District court 38-1-19, located in Limerick Township, includes Limerick, part of Upper Providence and Royersford borough.