April 24, 2024

_1JF6901-light-turnout — 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.

Police Log April 24: Shoplifting, threats, DUI

Police

Pennsylvania State Police

Media Barracks

• Police are investigating a case of a counterfeit $100 bill used as payment for five cupcakes at the Cupcake Sisters in Concord Township on March 23. Police also investigated a bogus $100 bill passed at The Meat Market on March 25, but that case was closed due to a lack of leads, police said.

• Tyler Haile, 26, of Wilmington was arrested for shoplifting at Wegmans on April 12, police said. No details of what was taken were released.

Avondale Barracks

• No details other than time and date were released, but a press release said a person was taken into custody on shoplifting charges after the suspect tried stealing various objects from the Walmart in East Marlborough Township on April 21.

• State police from the Avondale Barracks are investigating the theft of $825 worth of merchandise from Ulta Beauty in East Marlborough Township on April 15. The report said through employee interviews and a surveillance video, police are looking for a light-skinned black woman aged 20-29 years old.

Kennett Square Stet Police

• A police report said borough officers arrested José Lopez-Lopez on multiple charges, including making terroristic threats, possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault, and harassment. According to the police interview with the victim, the suspect entered her bedroom kicked her in the arm while she was lying down, and began to threaten her. She also advised that Lopez-Lopez was holding a knife in his right hand in a threatening matter as he threatened to kill her. He was taken into custody on April 12, the report said.

• On April 14, 2023, a representative from a business in the 100 block of W. State Street contacted the Kennett Square Police Department regarding suspected employee embezzlement. The representative reported that a prior employee, Robert “Bo” Wright, had been making unauthorized transactions via the business’s credit card. The criminal investigations division investigated the reported unauthorized transactions. The total theft amount discovered and identified is $12,790.58. The records analysis shows that Wright continually used the company credit card for personal and non-employment-approved expenses throughout the years he worked for the business. Wright turned himself in on the charges on April 18, 2024. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Iacocca. His bail was set at $50,000 unsecured. His preliminary hearing will occur on a future date.

• Police said Anthony Chocolatl, 29, of South Ozone Park, N.Y., was arrested and charged with DUI, possession of marijuana, and related traffic offenses after the Ford Transit he was operating was stopped for inoperable license plate lights. The incident occurred on April 16, in the 600 block of E. Cypress Street. The report said officers observed indicators suggesting intoxication and field sobriety tests showed impairment. Police also noticed a strong smell of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle during the traffic stop. Chocolatl gave verbal consent to search his vehicle, yielding a marijuana cigarette on the left side of the dashboard. He was taken into custody for suspicion of DUI and refused to submit to a chemical test of his blood. He was processed and later released pending issuance of a summons.