Lehigh County executive race off to a heated start
Democrat Josh Siegel, a state representative running for Lehigh County executive, said statements made about him by Republican Mike Welsh in his Monday campaign announcement show he is trying to “distract from his own terrible record of public disservice and lack of plans for Lehigh County.”
Though he is likely facing at least two opponents for his party’s nomination in the May 20 primary election, Welsh, a former member of the Allentown School Board, on Monday directed his criticisms at Siegel, a former Allentown City Council member who represents the 22nd House District, in his campaign statement.
Siegel and Welsh would only face each other should they win their party primaries.
Siegel is the only Democrat thus far who has announced plans to run in the primary.
Republican Justin Simmons, a former state representative, entered the race last week.
On Tuesday, Roger MacLean, president of Allentown City Council and the city’s former police chief, said he is running in the Republican primary as well.
The executive seat is open because incumbent Democrat Phil Armstrong is prevented under the county’s Home Rule Charter from seeking a third term.
Candidates must submit valid nomination papers before being placed on the ballot. Petition circulation begins on Feb. 18 and ends March 11.
Mike Welsh, former ASD director, running for Lehigh County executive
Ex-lawmaker Justin Simmons announces run for Lehigh County executive
Welsh, who is mounting his fifth campaign for public office, criticized Siegel for running for several offices since 2019. Welsh accused him of being an extremist and pegged him as being anti-police and in favor of high taxes.
In a press release issued Tuesday, Siegel said Welsh “is playing the same old lazy, tired fear-mongering schtick.”
He noted that Welsh “ran three failed campaigns.” They include running unsuccessfully for state representative in the 131st and twice for county commissioner. Welsh, who owns an insurance company, left the school board after serving three years of his four-year term for professional reasons.
Siegel, at age 22, ran unsuccessfully for Allentown mayor in the Democratic primary in 2017. He was elected to Allentown council in 2019. Two years later, he announced then dropped plans to run for mayor, never appearing on the ballot. He was elected to the state House in 2022 and reelected in 2024.
Siegel said Welsh “would be a MAGA wrecking ball.” While on the school board, Siegel said, Welsh voted to cut 74 teaching positions and also for a nearly 6% tax hike.
Siegel tied Welsh to President Donald Trump and his pardon of all of those charged or convicted for the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, Elon Musk and Republicans in Congress, saying they are working to defund public schools and cut funding that would jeopardize the county-owned Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab facility.
“Mike Welsh should condemn the January 6th pardons, tell us his thoughts on the 2020 election and whether he'd be a local rubber stamp to Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” Siegel said.
Siegel disputed Welsh’s claims that he is anti-police. As a state lawmaker, Siegel said, he voted to add 1,500 police officers in Pennsylvania’s communities and secured a grant to hire 40 new officers in Allentown. He said Allentown added more resources, not less, to the city police department while he was on council.
In addition, Siegel said, he has received an endorsement from Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holian, a Republican.
“I never voted for a budget that cut their [police] spending,” he said. “My campaign is focused on issues that matter to voters, reducing the cost of housing, regionalizing public safety to put more cops on the streets and save taxpayer dollars, protecting democracy at the county and unifying people around my bipartisan vision of One Lehigh."