Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Stephens ahead by 26 votes in 151st District
Loss would flip seat to Pa. Democrats
NORRISTOWN >> In a race separated by just 26 votes, Republican state Rep. Todd Stephens had a narrow lead in final, but unofficial votes reported early Wednesday.
The race for the 151st legislative district featured incumbent Stephens and Democrat Melissa Cerrato. As of 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, Stephens had 16,611 votes and Cerrato had 16,585. Another 68 write-in votes were cast in the state House race.
The winner will represent more than 60,000 residents living in Ambler borough, Horsham Township, as well as parts of Montgomery and Upper Dublin townships. and Montgomery townships, as well as parts of
Lower Gwynedd and Upper Dublin townships.
Recent redistricting impacted about 288 voters.
Of the 118,224 mail-in and absentee ballots returned to the Montgomery County Office of Voter Services, 4,331 remain under the “pending evaluation” category. Provisional ballot counting is slated to begin on Friday.
Additionally, military service members and American citizens living abroad have until Nov. 15 to return their ballot. To date, 329 military ballots have been returned, but updates to the category will not be made until after that deadline, according to county election officials.
Stephens has held onto the seat since he was first elected to serve in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2011. Statewide, Republicans have had majority control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for more than a decade, but Montgomery County has in recent years elected mostly Democrats to the legislature.
In a press conference on Wednesday in Philadelphia, Democratic House leaders said their survey of county election results and analysis of how uncounted mailin and provisional ballots are likely to shake out gave them confidence they will return to the majority for the first time in 12 years.
Republicans hold the chamber 113-90, so Democrats would need a net pickup of 12 to retake the majority.
A win by Cerrato, who previously served as a constituent service advisor to state Rep. Liz Hanbidge, D61st Dist., would help make that happen.
Neither Cerrato nor
Stephens’ camps responded to MediaNews Group’s request for comment.
Democrats won a number of other House seats across parts of Montgomery County, according to unofficial results from Montgomery County’s election summary report. Results remain unofficial until the election is certified by the Montgomery County Board of Elections. A snapshot of Norristown and eastern Montgomery County races show the following:
54th legislative district: Anderson vs. Scott
Redistricting efforts created a new legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The 54th legislative district is made up of 63,471 residents in Conshohocken, Norristown and Plymouth Township.
In final but unofficial results posted early Wednesday, Democrat former Magisterial District Judge Greg Scott had 14,183 votes and Republican Allen Arthur Anderson had 5,645 votes. Sixty write-in votes were also recorded.
70th legislative district: Bradford vs. Bustard
Longtime State Rep. Matt Bradford received 19,670 votes in the 2022 general election. His opponent, former Worcester Township Supervisor Art Bustard had 12,798 votes. Thirty write-in votes were also counted.
Bradford, a Democrat, was first appointed to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
serving constituents of the 70th legislative district in 2009. Bustard, a Republican, has long worked in local government as a supervisor and serving on boards of the North Penn Water Authority and Meadowood Corporation.
Recent redistricting impacted 1,311 voters of the more than 65,000 residents living in East Norriton, Perkiomen, Skippack and Worcester townships, as well as Schwenksville borough.
148th legislative district: Daley vs. O’Donnell
Veteran politician Mary Jo Daley easily held on to her seat in the 148th legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The Democrat received 27,033 votes and Republican challenger Fran O’Donnell had 8,431 votes. Thirty-five write-in votes were also included in the race count.
Daley was first elected in 2012 to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives serving more than 63,000 constituents living in Narberth borough, Whitemarsh Township, as well as parts of Lower Merion Township. There are 466 voters impacted by redistricting.
O’Donnell, a realtor, focused on inflation and crime as part of his platform.
153rd legislative district: Sanchez vs. Ulrich
Democrat state Rep. Ben Sanchez won by a two-toone margin over Republican
challenger Larry Ulrich to retain his seat representing the 153rd legislative district in Harrisburg.
Sanchez had 22,202 votes compared to Ulrich’s 10,214 votes. Fifty-one write-in votes were also counted.
Sanchez was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2018. Ulrich ran as a “we the people,” constitutional candidate, according to his campaign website.
Redistricting had impacted 1,740 voters in a legislative district encompassing 62,313 residents living in Rockledge borough, as well as parts of Abington Township and parts of Upper Dublin Township.
154th legislative district: Nelson vs. Banks
Incumbent Democrat state Rep. Napoleon Nelson easily retained his seat in the state House of Representatives with 25,844 votes to 6,276 for Republican challenger Angelina Banks. Another 41 write-in votes were also counted in the 154th House race.
Nelson was elected to serve as a representative for the 154th legislative district in 2020. Banks campaigned as a constitutional conservative, according to her candidate website. Redistricting in the district, representing 63,038 residents living in Jenkintown, as well as Cheltenham and Springfield townships, saw 1,015 voters aligned to a different district in 2022.
For more information about the general election in Montgomery County, visit https://www.montcopa.org/2033/ElectionResults-Websitemontcopa. org/753/Voter-Services.