Zrinski defeats Cozze for Norco executive in Democratic primary
Will face Republican Thomas Giovanni in November
Tara Zrinski easily won the Democratic nomination for Northampton County executive in Tuesday’s primary election with nearly 57% of the vote in defeating Amy Cozze, according to unofficial county returns.
“I’m so excited. I could not be more thrilled that I am the candidate of choice. I feel like this was a referendum on open space and farmland preservation,” Zrinski said by phone from her watch party at the Grover Cleveland Democratic Association in Bethlehem. “We’re going to make sure everybody knows where we stand on that issue. I think the quality of life here is important to very many people.”
She also thanked her campaign team and volunteers. “I could not be more proud of my team of core supporters that made calls, knocked on doors and supported me in every way possible. … I’m just really grateful,” Zrinski said. “I value how determined they are … They share the vision that I have for the county and they want to see that come to fruition.
Zrinski tallied 13,491 votes to Cozze’s 10,216, with all precincts reporting.
In a statement, Cozze said she called Zrinski to offer congratulations and concede the election. She urged her supporters to back Zrinski in November.
“This campaign was not easy. It was hard. It was often nasty. And there were days that tested every ounce of my strength. But through it all, I remained grounded in why I ran: to fight for the people who make this county work, especially those who are too often overlooked or silenced,” she said.
“While this election didn’t end the way we hoped, I’m not done. … There is still so much work to do to build a Northampton County that works for everyone, I intend to keep doing that work, with or without a title, and I encourage all my supporters to put the ugliness of this campaign behind and unite behind Tara for November.”
Zrinski is well known to voters, presently serving as county controller and as a county commissioner before that.
She also had the support of the current executive, Lamont McClure, and former executives Glenn Reibman and Gerry Seyfried, among other Democratic officials.
In November, Zrinski will face Republican Thomas Giovanni, 71, a county commissioner from Plainfield Township who was unopposed in the GOP primary. That election will determine who will succeed McClure, who declined to seek a third, four-year term to run in 2026 to represent the Lehigh Valley’s 7th Congressional District.
The executive oversees 2,000 county employees and a budget of $502 million. Beginning in 2026, the annual salary for the executive will increase from $85,000 to $105,000.
Zrinski, 49, of Bethlehem, ran on her record as a member of county council, helping deliver $18 million in covid relief to the county, keeping the Gracedale nursing home under county ownership, voting for a property tax cut, investing in affordable housing projects, and preserving 2,400 acres of open space and 50 farms.
Cozze, 42, also of Bethlehem, worked for the county for four years, the last two being in charge of county elections until early 2022. That’s when she joined U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's staff as regional manager and later as director of outreach. The job ended after Casey lost the election last year to Republican Dave McCormick. She lost her only other bid for elected office in 2018 when she was defeated by state Rep. Joe Emrick, who continues to represent the 137th District.
Zrinski’s campaign had a slight financial edge over Cozze’s, according to their campaign finance reports that reflect the period from Jan. 1 through May 5.
Friends of Tara Zrinski had $73,069 available, spent $54,229, leaving a balance of $18,840. The campaign also received $35,265 for in-kind services, most of that from the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Cozze’s campaign had $59,766, spent $48,246, with a balance of $11,520. Her committee received $15,272 in in-kind services, much of that also coming from the state Democratic Party.