ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The primary election has taken on greater stakes in the city mayor’s race.
Republican Solomon Tembo withdrew his nomination petition this week, leaving Democrats Ed Zucal and Matt Tuerk as the only ones on the ballot.
That means the winner of the Democratic primary has a clear path to winning the mayor’s office — as voter registration in Allentown heavily favors Democrats and any other candidate would have to mount a write-in campaign.
Tuerk is the incumbent mayor in the final year of his first term; Zucal is a city councilman.
March 12 was the deadline for candidates to file nomination papers with the Lehigh County elections office. Tembo was the lone Republican to file a petition.
But he provided a Salisbury Township address on his form, and Allentown Republican Danielle Scott challenged his petition because of that as well as alleging more than 100 of the 140 signatures on the petition were ineligible.
A hearing was to be scheduled in Lehigh County Court. But Lehigh County Chief Clerk of Elections Tim Benyo said Tembo withdrew his nomination petition.
May 20 primary
The primary election in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, May 20.
Voters in Lehigh and Northampton counties this year will elect numerous local offices, including county judge, county executive, county commissioners, mayors, township supervisors, school board directors and others.
Pennsylvania has a closed primary system. That means Republican voters can vote only for Republican candidates and Democratic voters can vote only for Democratic candidates in the primary election.
The candidates who receive the highest number of votes go on to run in the general election.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Lehigh Valley Public Media, comprising LehighValleyNews.com, PBS39 and 91.3 WLVR, will hold several debates prior to the May 20 primary. The Allentown mayoral debate is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at Miller Symphony Hall. Free ticket registration will open soon.
