ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Lehigh County commissioners race came into sharper focus Tuesday as Democratic voters selected their four candidates for the November election.
Unofficial results from Lehigh County show legislative aide Sheila Alvarado, incumbent Dan Hartzell, community organizer April Riddick and data engineer Jon Irons secured their nominations.
- Democrats Sheila Alvarado, Dan Hartzell, April Riddick and Jon Irons appear to have secured their spots on the November ballot for Lehigh County commission
- They'll face Republicans Gary Fedorcha, Paul Moat, Jacqueline Rivera and Rita Sisselberger, who ran unopposed
- Democrats are looking to extend their historically rare control of the board
The early tally showed Irons with a 352-vote lead for the final spot, likely spelling the end of the campaigns for former state representative candidate Michael Blichar Jr.; Victor Martinez, the owner of La Mega 101.7 FM; and Joe Setton, a former South Whitehall Township commissioner.
The primary was largely free of tension as the candidates agreed on the need to control warehouse development, ease growing traffic and protect human services at the county.
Alvarado, who is making her first run for public office, appeared to be the top vote-getter. She slipped ahead of Hartzell, a two-term incumbent whose byline appeared in the Morning Call for decades before he retired. She pointed to her time working as an aide to state Rep. Peter Schweyer, saying her work connecting constituents to resources would prove to be an asset for the county. If successful in November, she would be the first Latina elected to the county board of commissioners.
Alvarado was part of a large crowd of Democrats at the Maingate Nightclub in Allentown watching results trickle in. She said she was humbled by the high level of support she received and was confident she and the other winners would work well together ahead of the general election.
"We’ve all talked to each other. We all agree on pretty similar issues. I think we’ll be very comfortable as a slate."Lehigh County legislative aide Sheila Alvarado
"We’ve all talked to each other. We all agree on pretty similar issues. I think we’ll be very comfortable as a slate," Alvarado said.
This primary is the first in more than 20 years where Democrats have competed against each other for at-large seats. The showdown came at a time of transition within the board — incumbents Bob Elbich, Dave Harrington and Zakiya Smalls opted not to seek re-election.
Once the results are official, the four top Democratic candidates will advance to face Republicans Gary Fedorcha, Paul Moat, Jacqueline Rivera and Rita Sisselberger. The Republican primary was uncontested.
The conservative slate will look to put an end to Democrats' brief time in control of the board. Democrats swept the 2019 municipal election, giving the party its first majority in more than 30 years. Democrats will need to win three of the four at-large seats in November to maintain their majority.
