EASTON, Pa. — Easton City Council will welcome back a longstanding member alongside a fresh-faced community advocate, with the final seat up for election still too close to call late Tuesday.
Councilman Ken Brown, who has been in office more than 20 years, counted a substantial lead in the race, along with newcomer Frank Pintabone, a noted community advocate aiming for improvements throughout all of Easton’s neighborhoods.
- Late Monday, Easton City Council's Democratic primary election shows Ken Brown and Frank Pintabone taking two open seats
- Brown, one of the Lehigh Valley's most recognizable Black politicians, has been serving the city over 20 years, whereas community activist and advocate Frank Pintabone is a newcomer looking to improve all the city's neighborhoods
- One last remaining position is open, with candidates Ken Greene and Crystal Rose vying for the seat
Fresh faces Ken Greene and Crystal Rose were neck and neck as of 11 p.m., with Rose holding a slim lead.
Brown is recognized as one of the most notable Black politicians in the Lehigh Valley.
This cycle, he said he is focused on addressing homelessness in the city, aiming to build a partnership where the local government helps secure grants and other funding for nonprofit agencies to better execute a strategy to help those in need.
"My team, we really, really work well together,” Brown said. “It was important to me that we made sure that we talk to all the people in the city of Easton, not just one section of the city, and we did that."Ken Brown
“My team, we really, really work well together,” Brown said. “It was important to me that we made sure that we talk to all the people in the city of Easton, not just one section of the city, and we did that.”
Pintabone is a fourth-generation Eastonian who has been involved in community improvement efforts since the age of 19.
Now, Pintabone is aiming to use his experience to focus on all the city’s neighborhoods, overall quality of life, affordable housing, public transportation, and attracting more small businesses to the South Side, West Ward and College Hill areas.
"We came out on top, so we’re very, very happy and grateful,” Pintabone said. He said he looks forward to relaxing a bit before taking office and “working with Mayor Panto — he won again and that was great — and Councilman Brown and the entire council, and just the entire administration” to strengthen and move Easton’s neighborhoods forward.
Greene, a retired educator who was recognized as Easton’s Volunteer of the Year in 2022, is focusing upon keeping Easton “safe, clean, and accessible” for all residents.
Greene has said he wishes to push the city from “good to great” by establishing neighborhood-specific plans and involving the community in a mission to attract and develop housing developers and businesses.
“It looks like a seven-vote difference, but we don’t have provisional ballots in," Greene said when asked about the election late Tuesday. "It’s not final yet, obviously, and it seems like it’s too close to call at the moment, at least from my perspective,"
Rose, who has longstanding roots in the Easton area, has worked as the first vice president/marketing director of Unity Bank for 12 years, and served on the Easton Civil Service Board, the Affordable Housing Task Force, and other civic groups for years.
Rose is prioritizing the fight against blight, absentee landlords, crime, food insecurity, affordable housing, and homelessness in her campaign.
Rose did not respond to several calls seeking comment Tuesday evening.
