Light turnout for primary

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on April 24, 2024

Chester and Delaware counties are reporting light voter turnout in Tuesday’s primary. Both say turnout was just less than 23 percent.

As is often the case with primary elections, turnout can be low. That’s, especially so when there are no contested races. In many cases, campaign signs outnumbered voters at any given time. At the Concord Township municipal complex on Thornton Road yesterday, pickleball players often outnumbered voters at the two precincts at that complex.

But while the turnout was low — an average of less than 23 percent in both Chester and Delaware Counties — the matchups are set for the November general election.

In the state representative race for the 160^th Legislative District, incumbent Republican state Rep. Craig Williams will face challenger Elizabeth Moro. Moro sought the Democratic party nomination for U.S. representative in the 2018 primary but lost to Chrissy Houlihan, but she has remained active.

Williams succeeded former state Rep. Steve Barrar after Barrar retired at the end of 2020. Williams also eyed his party’s nomination for state attorney but was not the endorsed candidate.

The GOP-endorsed candidate for state attorney general is Dave Sunday from York County. According to election results from Delaware County, Sunday topped Williams in the only contested race in the area. Sunday took 70.5 percent of the Republican Party vote, and he will face current Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer in November.

For U.S. representative for the 5^th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Mary Scanlon will be challenged by Republican Alfeia Goodwin.

In Concord Township, pickleball players sometimes outnumber voters at the two precincts in the township building and the O'Donoghue Field House.

Current state Sen. John Kane, the Democrat serving Pennsylvania’s 9^th Senatorial District, will face Republican Mike Woodin in November. In the 19th Senatorial District, incumbent Democrat Carolyn Comitta will be challenged by Republican Duane Milne.

The Democrats put up Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia for auditor general, and Ryan Bizzarro for state treasurer. They will be challenged by Tim DeFoor and Stacy Garrity, respectively.

For the U.S. Senate race, Republican Dave McCormick will challenge incumbent Democrat Bob Casey.

In the 6^th Congressional District serving Chester County, Republican Neil Young squares off against incumbent Chrissy Houlihan.

Unless there are changes the 2024 presidential race will be 2020 part two. To no one’s surprise, Pennsylvania Democrats gave their vote to President Joe Biden for his reelection bid while former President Donald Trump was the GOP pick.

Election results are not final until verified by the board of elections in each county.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.