MacLean defeats Welsh in Lehigh County GOP executive race
Former Allentown police chief will face Democrat Josh Siegel, a state lawmaker, in November
Roger MacLean, a former Allentown police chief, defeated Mike Welsh, a small business owner, on Tuesday in the Republican primary for Lehigh County executive.
The vote was 7,713 for MacLean and 6,997 for Welsh, according to unofficial results that showed 160 of 161 precincts partially reported.
MacLean will face Democrat Josh Siegel, a state representative in the 22nd House District, in November. Siegel was unopposed in the primary election.
“I’m elated,” MacLean said just after midnight. “I’m glad the voters picked me and I’m going to do whatever I can to win this election. I need to defeat him [Siegel].”
Welsh on Wednesday said he will support MacLean on Nov. 5.
“I called Roger around 11:30 last night just to wish him all the best and tell him I would be with him 100% as Republicans try to take back the seat.”
Welsh was happy with the campaign he ran. “It’s something I’m very poud of,” he said. “I’m thankful for all the people who volunterred and helped me.”
The county executive oversees a $553 million budget that draws about $117 million from property taxes and about $417 million in federal and state funding. The executive’s salary will be $95,000 in 2026, up from $75,000.
The executive seat is open because incumbent Democrat Phil Armstrong is prevented under the county’s Home Rule Charter from seeking a third term.
MacLean served in the Allentown Police Department for 39 years, rising to chief. He then worked for 10 years aiding data analysts in the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office at the James B. Martin Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center. He was elected to city council in 2016 and served as council president.
Welsh is the owner of A.C. Thompson in South Whitehall Township for the last 11 years. He served on the Allentown School Board Welsh from 2013 and served until 2017 when he resigned for professional reasons.
MacLean and Welsh shared similar views on almost every issue. That included seeking the GOP nomination so Siegel wasn’t unchallenged in November. Both labeled Siegel a radical who is anti-police.
Siegel previously responded to such charges as saying, “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."
MacLean and Welsh both cited the county budget as the biggest issue. Neither offered solutions to the structural deficit facing the budget, but promised to go over the budget line-by-line to look for savings.
Despite their similarities, Welsh took aim at MacLean for being a registered Democrat before switching parties in December, musing whether MacLean’s “Democratic tendencies” would emerge if he were elected. MacLean responded by saying, “if that’s the only thing he can attack, I’m in pretty good shape.”
MacLean enters the November election at a fundraising disadvantage.
His committee raised $11,825 between March 14 and May 5 and spent $6,321, leaving him with $5,500.
Siegel spent $1,715 between Jan. 1 and May 5, leaving him with $180,176.
Editor’s note: This post was updated to include commets from candidate Mike Welsh.