Houck bows out of Norco DA’s race
Withdrawal means former Judge Stephen Baratta is the likely winner.
Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck, who lost in the Democratic primary but won a spot on the Republican ballot as a write-in, has withdrawn from seeking re-election to a second term.
His decision, announced Monday, means a likely win on Nov. 7 for Democrat Stephen Baratta, who resigned as a county judge in December so he could challenge Houck.
Houck, a Democrat, cited the cost of mounting the race.
“When you measure the uphill battle you have against the expense, it’s just something you can’t afford,” Houck, 67, said in an interview Monday.
Houck said raising money as a Democrat on a Republican ballot in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans is difficult. In addition, the county GOP said it would not support him.
“Basically, you are a candidate without a party,” Houck said.
Baratta could not be reached for comment.
Baratta won 54.5% of the vote on the Democratic ballot on May 16 with 12,998 votes to Houck’s 10,841.
Houck, however, won the Republican primary, which had no GOP candidates on the ballot, with a successful write-in campaign (1,468 votes), leading to a rematch with Baratta.
Between them, the two candidates spent more than $400,000 in the primary race when factoring in primary campaign expenses and the value of in-kind contributions.
Baratta’s campaign committee had $849 left on June 5, according to the campaign committee’s finance report. Houck had $1,459. That meant the two were starting over from scratch for the fall election.
“You are talking about an extraordinary expense that you have to outlay,” Houck said. “I researched these numbers over and over again. This was a decision that was made with much thought.”
Houck’s withdrawal, which he said was done for the sake of his family, brings an end to one of Northampton County’s more memorable primary contests.
Both candidates are seasoned attorneys with nearly 90 years of law enforcement and legal experience between them. Both served as first assistant district attorney under former DA John Morganelli, now a county judge.
Houck is a former Philadelphia police officer who put himself through college and law school while working as a beat cop and detective. He rose up over the years to become chief deputy district attorney in Bucks and Lehigh counties before becoming first assistant DA under Morganelli.
He had a decisive win in 2019, defeating Republican Tom Carroll with 55.5% of the vote.
Baratta has deep roots in the county. He graduated from Pen Argyl High School in 1974 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College. His late father Renald Baratta was a criminal defense attorney. He was first elected judge in 1997 and was twice retained.
Their primary battle was notable for a seemingly unending flow of campaign mailers and ads with Baratta putting Houck on the defensive over First Assistant District Attorney Richard Pepper’s part-time work, for alleged staff turnovers and for case dispositions that Baratta said raised questions about Houck’s competency. Houck defended Pepper and disputed the allegations.
Houck, in turn, accused Baratta of running for DA so he could get a double pension as a judge and as the county’s top prosecutor, which Baratta denies. He also said Baratta didn’t seem to understand the bail system.
Houck also touted the initiatives he launched, including expanding the drug task force into a full-time operation, starting a major crimes task force, organizing a support group for secondary victims of homicides, and expanding community outreach.
“I’m very very proud of all the initiatives. The results of that good work are showing every day,” he said.
Houck said he has no plans to ease up on his efforts.
“I’m going to continue to lead the office and continue to do my job,” he said.
Houck thanked his supporters. “I recognize the immense amount of support I had,” he said.
When asked about his now former opponent, Houck responded, “I got nothing to say.”