As we perused the results of Tuesday’s election, many things stood out, but here are a few of them.
Valley picks winner in U.S. Senate, gubernatorial races
The Lehigh Valley went all in for Democrat John Fetterman in his successful bid to serve as one of Pennsylvania's two U.S. senators. But they went even bigger for Democrat Josh Shapiro, the winner in the gubernatorial race.
Fetterman posted 137,982 votes in Lehigh and Northampton counties. That's 12,682 less than Shapiro’s 150,664 votes. The differences show how those voters were splitting their tickets at the top of the ballot or, in the case of 1,775 voters, made no choice at all in the Senate contest.
It also shows why the race statewide between Fetterman and his Republican challenger, Mehmet Oz, was closer – 50.76% vs. 46.82% – than Shapiro’s win over Republican Doug Mastriano – 56.06% vs. 42.14%
U.S. Senate race in Lehigh County
Fetterman: 72,147
Oz: 58,878
U.S. Senate race in Northampton County
Fetterman: 65,835
Oz: 59,623
Governor’s race in Lehigh County
Shapiro: 79,080
Mastriano: 53,178
Governor’s race in Northampton County
Shapiro: 71,584
Mastriano: 54,716
Young blood goes to Harrisburg
Voters in the Lehigh Valley went young in choosing state lawmakers for three seats that lacked incumbents, two because of redistricting and one because of a primary upset.
Democrat Nick Miller, 27, of Allentown won in the newly carved 14th Senate District race. Miller is a member of the Allentown School Board who was elected to the post when he was 24. He defeated Republican Dean Browning, 66, a former president of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners with 59% of the vote.
Democrat Josh Siegel, 28, of Allentown won in the newly carved 22nd House District.
Siegel first ran for office in 2017 when he was among seven candidates, including then-Mayor Ed Pawlowski, running for the Democratic nomination in the Allentown 2017 mayor’s race. He lost. At age 25, he was elected to Allentown City Council in 2019. On Tuesday, Siegel defeated Robert E. Smith Jr., 60, a former Allentown School Board member, with 63% of the vote.
Republican Jarrett Coleman, 32, of Upper Macungie won in the 16th Senate District, earning his spot on the ballot after defeating longtime incumbent Republican Pat Browne, 58, in the primary by 24 votes. He first ran for office in 2021, winning a seat on the Parkland School Board. On Tuesday, he defeated Democrat Mark Pinsley, 52, who is Lehigh County’s elected controller, by 53% in the district’s precincts in western Lehigh County and nearly 56% in the upper Bucks County precincts.
Voter Registration & Turnout
Lehigh and Northampton counties had 459,126 registered voters going into Tuesday’s election.
That’s 16,933 higher than in 2018, the last midterm election, when Gov. Tom Wolf was reelected, Democrat Susan Wild was first elected in the 7th Congressional District and Democrats took control of the U.S. House.
Looking closer at the numbers, Lehigh had 234,082 registered voters – 1,202 more than in 2018. Meanwhile, Northampton had 225,044 – 15,731 more than 2018.
Voter turnout on Tuesday was 57.94% in Northampton and 58.1% in Lehigh County. That’s slightly higher than 2018 when Lehigh posted 54.5.% and Northampton 55.8%.
By the numbers: Northampton County
Registered voters: 225,044
Total ballots cast: 130,383
Election Day: 94,276
Mail-in ballots: 36,107
Turnout: 57.94%
Source: Lehigh County
By the numbers: Lehigh County
Registered voters: 234,082
Total ballots cast: 135,972
Election Day: 100,563
Mail-in ballots: 35,409
Turnout: 58.1%
Source: Northampton County
It was a big night for incumbents
Incumbents in the Lehigh Valley all won their races, whatever their party.
Democrat incumbent Susan Wild won a third term in the 7th Congressional District, defeating Republican Lisa Scheller, chairman and CEO of Silberline Manufacturing in Schuylkill County, with 51% of the vote.
Democrat Lisa Boscola, 60, is adding another four years to a political career that spans 28 years, the last 24 as senator, thanks to her defeat of Republican John Merhottein, president of the Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners, by a margin of 18,187 votes.
Other winners were Democrats Mike Schlossberg (132) and Peter Schweyer (134) and Republicans Milou Mackenzie (131), Joe Emrick (137) and Ann Flood (138).
Unopposed were Democrats Jeanne McNeill (135), Steve Samuelson (135) and Robert Freeman (136) and Republicans Zach Mako (183) and Ryan Mackenzie (187).