Seale: Race too close to call in 168th Pa. House battle
Trailing incumbent state Rep. Chris Quinn by an unofficial 758 votes, Democrat Kristin Seale is not about to give up her fight for the 168th Pa. House seat just yet.
A spokesman for Democratic challenger Seale said she considered the race for the 168th legislative seat “too close to call” as of Wednesday afternoon.
“She has not conceded,” Kelson Northeimer said of Seale, noting that she wants to wait for the final tabulations on Monday.
Seale, 45, of Media, had no additional comment, Northeimer said.
According to unofficial results provided by the county, Quinn garnered 16,569 to Seale’s 15,811 votes, with 100 percent of machines reporting in all eight towns within the legislative district. The unofficial results do not include absentee, provisional or remote military votes.
“The machine totals show Chris Quinn comfortably ahead by 750 votes. We are confident that after the absentee ballots are counted that Chris will remain ahead and be declared the winner,” said Pete Peterson, Quinn’s campaign spokesman. “Chris appreciates the support he received from voters for his re-election. During his next term, Chris is committed to continuing to work in a bipartisan manner on issues like securing needed state funding for local school districts, protecting our environment and controlling state spending.”
Quinn, 51, owner of an insurance business, first won the seat in a July 2016 special election and was reelected the following November.
“I’m running because I’m tired of the partisanship in politics and the influence of special interests,” he stated prior to the race, again through his spokesman. “I think we need more people in office who are willing to work on a bipartisan basis to get things done. I want to champion the values of local residents in Harrisburg on issues like common sense gun laws, increasing funding for public education, as well as being a good steward of both our environment and taxpayer money.”
Quinn stated he was backed by a diverse range of organizations including the Pennsylvania State Teachers Association, animal rights advocates, Delco United for Sensible Gun Control, the Fraternal Order of Police, Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce, among others, because they recognized that he has been a consensus builder during his first two years in the legislature. “My focus is on building bridges and finding areas of agreement, not divisiveness. Both parties need to work together, not against one another. Divisiveness and partisanship mean that the people are not being properly represented,” he stated.
He worked in the electronics industry before starting an independent insurance agency. He and his wife have three daughters.
Seale is director of operations of Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance Fund and serves as a Rose Tree Media School Board director. She was a delegate pledged to Sen. Bernie Sanders at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America in the race. She and her husband have two daughters.
The 168th district includes Chester Heights, Edgmont, Media, Middletown, Newtown, Thornbury, Upper Providence and part of Marple.