Strong turnout for midterm voters
Early results show Democrats taking local state Senate, two house seats
LANSDALE >> Heavy rains through much of Tuesday afternoon didn’t stop local voters from getting to the polls, for the chance to fill several local seats with new members for the first time in decades.
Preliminary vote totals had incumbent Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Senator Bob Casey both winning re-election over Republican challengers Scott Wagner and Lou Barletta respectively, according to the Associated Press.
Results were more mixed at the local level, with early and unofficial results showing a Democrat winning an area state Senate seat, two more Democrats narrowly winning state House seats, and two incumbent Republicans winning re-election.
At the Fairmount Fire Company’s station in Lansdale, poll workers said turnout totaled 429 votes as of 4 p.m., slightly behind the rate for a presidential election but well ahead of the last midterm races. At Knapp Elementary School, also in Lansdale, 507 voters had cast their ballots as of 4:30 p.m., and poll workers
there said the turnout was also slightly off of 2016 levels but well ahead of 2014.
At Inglewood Elementary in Towamencin, 800 of their roughly 2,000 registered voters cast their ballots by 6 p.m., and volunteers Laura Smith and Christian Fusco manned tables for the local Republican and Democratic parties respectively, handing out sample ballots and snacks as voters headed to their booths.
“It’s been a steady stream all day — and there were 25 people lined up at the door
when we opened this morning,” said Smith.
12th Senate District: Collett vs Greenleaf Jr.
Early vote counts indicate the next Senator from the state’s 12th District will have a new name, as Democrat Maria Collett appears to be ahead of Republican Stewart Greenleaf Jr. for the seat held since 1978 by Greenleaf’s father.
Collett, a nurse and former Deputy Attorney General in New Jersey, led Greenleaf Jr., an attorney and former Montgomery County Controller, by a margin of 51 to 48 percent as of press time Tuesday.
Unofficial results posted by Montgomery County had Collett recieving a total of 8,087 votes to 7,713 for Greenleaf Jr., with 10 writein votes for neither and 22 percent of votes counted. Both candidates did not respond to requests for comment by press time. 53rd House District: Malagari vs Szekely vs Waldenberger The 53rd state house district will also have a new representative, as early results showed Lansdale Democrat Steve Malagari ahead of Republican Andy Szekely and Libertarian John Waldenberger for the seat long held by retiring Republican Rep. Bob Godshall. Unofficial vote totals had Malagari, a Lansdale councilman, ahead by a margin of 53.8 percent to 45 for Szekely, a chiropractor and Lansdale’s Mayor from 2008 through 2017, with less than 1 percent for Waldenberger, a small business owner and musician from the Souderton area. As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, Malagari had 3,336 votes to 2,822 for Szekely and 59 for Waldenberger, with eight of
34 polling areas reported. Malagari cautioned that vote totals were still subject to change, and absentee votes could impact the final margin.
“We don’t have enough results even to say anything, unfortunately, but people were enthusiastic,” Malagari said.
“I wouldn’t say record turnout, I would say very high turnout, and people were excited to get out and vote,” he said.
61st House District: Harper vs Hanbidge
Democrat Liz Hanbidge, an attorney and child advocate from Blue Bell, appears to have defeated incumbent Republican representative and attorney Kate Harper.
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, early vote totals had Hanbidge ahead with 52 percent and 3,618 total votes to 47 percent and 3,306 votes
for Harper, with one writein vote. Neither candidate had responded to requests for comment by press time.
151st House: Stephens vs Johnson Rothman
Republican Todd Stephens, a former prosecutor for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office before his election to the state house, appears to have defeated Democrat challenger Sara Rothman Johnson, an education law attorney, former deputy district attorney and Upper Dublin school board member.
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, Stephens led by a wide margin of 63 percent and 1,303 votes to 36 percent and 735 votes for Johnson Rothman, with 8 percent of municipalities reporting. Neither candidate responded to requests for comment by press time.
152nd House: Murt vs Boling
As of press time Tuesday night, voters in the 152nd District appear to have reelected their state representative.
Incumbent Republican Tom Murt, a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant and former Upper Moreland Township commissioner and school board member, appears to have held onto the seat he has had since 2007.
Unofficial results posted by Montgomery County put Murt ahead of Democrat challenger Daryl Boling, the CEO of an arts management company, by a margin of 60 to 40 percent.
With 33 percent of areas reported, early results had Murt receiving a total of 5,023 votes to 3,339 for Boling, with three write-in votes for neither. Both candidates did not respond to requests for comment by press time.