In Norco, Baratta defeats Houck for DA Democratic nomination; Aaroe, Panella to battle again for judge in November
See primary results in Lehigh Valley counties, cities and Whitehall
Update: Lehigh County Commissioner candidate Jon Irons had enough votes to take the fourth nomination in the Democratic primary. An earlier version of the story incorrectly indicated he didn’t have enough votes to gain the nomination.
Former Northampton County Judge Baratta convincingly grabbed the Democratic nomination for county district attorney by defeating first-term incumbent Terry Houck Tuesday night.
Baratta captured 54% of the vote, 12,943 to 10,799, according to the county’s unofficial results with at least parts of all 156 precincts reporting Tuesday night.
No candidate was on the Republican ballot, although Houck conducted a write-in campaign to win the GOP nomination. He would need 250 votes to run as a Republican in Novemeber. However, Houck must wait until the county counts write-in votes later this week. If successful, he would have a rematch with Baratta. Neither candidate responded Tuesday night to an email requesting comment.
In the race for a seat on the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas, it was a split decision. Brian Panella, a Democrat, won his party’s nomination over Nancy Aaroe, 13,098 to 9,960, and Aaroe, took the GOP nomination, 10,932 to 4,723, according to unofficial results. That means they will face each other again in the general election Nov. 14, when all voters, not just Democrats and Republicans, can vote.
Aaroe, 58, of Bethlehem Township, and Panella, 32, of Forks Township, are both lawyers. Panella spent more than $91,000 on his campaign from Jan. 1 through May 1, while Aaroe spent nearly $27,000 during that period, according to their campaign finance reports.
In the Democratic primary for Northampton County controller, Tara Zrinski of Hanover Township collected 60% of the vote in defeating Nadeem Qayyum of Easton, 13,809 to 9,094, according to unofficial returns.
Zrinski, a county commissioner and unsuccessful candidate in last year’s Democratic primary for state senator from the 14th District will face Republican John Cusick, also a county commissioner, in November.
Lehigh County
The Democratic primary for Lehigh County Board of Commissioners featured seven candidates seeking nominations for four at-large seats.
Only incumbent Dan Hartzell, 72, of South Whitehall Township, sought reelection as three other commissioners – Bob Elbich, Dave Harrington and Zakiya Smalls – did not run.
Sheila Alvarado, 37, of Allentown, a legislative assistant to state Rep. Peter G. Schweyer, received the most votes, 13,364, according to complete unofficial Lehigh County returns. Hartzell, who is seeking a third four-year term, took the second nomination with 13,115 votes.
April Riddick, 55, of Allentown, a project manager, event coordinator, photographer and marketing consultant with I Thrive, took the third nomination with 10,472 votes, and Jon Irons, with 10,327 votes, took the fourth spot.
The other candidates and their vote totals were Michael Blichar Jr. (9,979), Victor VJ Martinez (9,832) and Joe Setton (9,124).
The Republican primary was uncontested as only four candidates – Jacqueline Rivera, Rita Sisselberger, Gary S. Fedorcha and Paul Moat – were on the ballot.
Democrats hold a 5-4 majority on the nine-member board, and the balance of power could shift to Republicans if they capture at least one commissioner seat in the November election.
Easton
Democratic Mayor Sal Panto Jr., who has been in office for 23 years over two stints, easily defeated primary challenger Peter Melan, 1,631 to 704, according to unofficial Northampton County results. No candidate sought the GOP nomination.
In the Democratic contest, seven candidates sought the nomination for three at-large seats on Easton City Council.
Frank Pintabone (1,252 votes), incumbent Kenneth Brown (1,114) and Crystal Rose (1,025) were leading the race for the three nominations.
Incumbent David O’Connell missed out, with 620 votes. The other candidates and their vote totals are Ken Greene (988), Lance M. Wheeler (637) and Kurt Carlson (287).
No candidates were on the Republican ballot.
Allentown
In the seven-way Democratic primary for three seats on Allentown City Council, incumbents won the nominations, according to unofficial Lehigh County returns.
Ce-Ce Gerlach, seeking her second-four year term (2,765 votes), Santo Napoli, who was appointed to fill a council vacancy in January (2,270), and Candida Affa, seeking a third term (1,921), are in line to return to office.
No Republicans serve on City Council and that likely will continue as no Republicans ran in the primary.
Vote totals for the other candidates were Luis E Acevedo (1,725), Sarina Torres (1,585), Rodney Bushe, (1,335) and Tino Babayan (1,101).
Bethlehem
In the Democratic primary for three seats on Bethlehem City Council, Colleen Laird (3,784 votes), incumbent Michael G. Colón (3,352) and former council member Bryan Callahan (2,441) won the party nominations to be on the ballot in the fall, according to complete and unofficial returns from Northampton and Lehigh counties. Celeste Dee (2,391) and Ricky Butler (2,226) finished in the last two spots.
Only two Republicans ran in the primary – Devin Brunges and Thomas Ginthner - and will also be on the November ballot.
Whitehall Township
In the Democratic primary for Whitehall Township mayor, Joseph J. Marx Jr., president of the township commissioners, narrowly defeated MIchael Cocca, 894 to 847, according to unofficial Lehigh County returns.
In the Republican primary, Tina Jo Koren, the elected tax collector/treasurer, defeated John C. Hersh, an account executive, 649 to 461, according to unofficial county returns.
Barring any significant changes in the results, Koren will face Marx in November.
Mayor Mike Harakal dropped out of the race in March. He received a vote of no confidence from township commissioners in January after the township paid $140,000 to settle harassment complaints against him, The Morning Call reported.
Whitehall voters, by a 61% majority, rejected a ballot question that would change the elected position of treasurer and replace it with a finance director appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the commissioners. The vote was 1,808 against the change and 1,151 for it.
Lehigh County
Other county row offices had no primary contests.
Democratic incumbent Controller Mark Pinsley and Republican Robert E. Smith Jr. will face each other in November. Pinsley is seeking a second, four-year term.
Democrat Daniel Buglio, who was appointed interim coroner in April 2022 after Coroner Eric Minnich resigned, will run against Republican Joseph Zitarelli in November.
Three other candidates were unopposed in their primaries and likely have no opponents in the November election: Republican Gavin Holihan, first assistant district attorney, is seeking to become district attorney and succeed Jim Martin, who did not seek reelection after 25 years in office; Sheriff Joe Hanna, a Republican, is seeking a third term; Democrat Michelle Graupner, a clerk in the judicial records office, is running for clerk of judicial records to replace Andrea Naugle, who is retiring.
District attorney race
The often acrimonious campaign for district attorney was filled with charges and counter charges by each candidate, questioning how each performed in their jobs and their character. Baratta’s campaign outspent Houck’s, $115,000 to about $87,000, according to campaign finance reports for the period Jan. 1 to May 1.
Both served as first assistant district attorney under former DA John Morganelli, now a county judge.
Houck, 67, of Forks Township, is a former police officer in his native Philadelphia and later earned his law degree from Temple University. He held jobs as an assistant district attorney in Bucks County and chief deputy district attorney in Lehigh County before joining Morganelli’s staff in 2006. He moved up to a full-time first assistant district attorney and was elected district attorney four years ago.
Baratta, 66, is a county native, graduating from Bangor Area High School in 1974 and then earned a bachelor’s degree four years later from Lafayette College. He earned his law degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1981, the same year he began private practice in Easton. His late father, Renald Baratta, was a criminal defense attorney.
Baratta served as solicitor for Northampton County Children & Youth Services from 1985-90 and was county solicitor from 1990-92. moved to the district attorney’s office in 1992, where he spent five years as the first assistant district attorney, which was then a part-time post.
In 1997, Baratta was elected to a 10-year term as judge on the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas, serving 25 years, which included a stint as president judge from 2013-18. He resigned in the middle of his third term and later announced his candidacy for district attorney.