EASTON, Pa. — Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure will not seek reelection this year, he said Tuesday, likely setting off a pitched fight to succeed him.
The announcement marks a reversal for McClure, who said as early as November 2023 and as recently as December that he would run again this year.
McClure, a Democrat, first entered Northampton County government in 2006, when he was elected to the county council. He defeated Republican incumbent John Brown in 2017 to become county executive, and won reelection in 2021 against challenger Steve Lynch.
"As I've taken some time to think about seeking a third term, there have been several factors which have led me to conclude that I'm not going to seek one.”Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure
“It's been the honor of my life to be the county executive for the people of Northampton County,” McClure said.
“But as I've taken some time to think about seeking a third term, there have been several factors which have led me to conclude that I'm not going to seek one.”
Among those factors, he said, is the 2023 vote limiting the Northampton County Executive to two consecutive terms.
Because the change to the county’s home rule charter cannot be retroactive, McClure is not legally held to the two-term limit.
Still, “although I wouldn't be violating the letter of the law, there is a piece of me that believes that the spirit of the law ought to be upheld,” he said.
At the same time, he said, he is ready to explore “new types of public service.”
Despite his decision not to run again, McClure said he believes his approach to county government is still broadly popular with voters, and he would have “easily won a third term this year."
His remaining time — and legacy
For his remaining year in office, McClure said he will focus on the same things he always has: preserving farmland, keeping Gracedale nursing home county-owned and -operated, and reducing spending to keep property taxes low.
His administration will continue to pursue some of its signature initiatives, such as affordable housing projects, the Fake is Real fentanyl awareness campaign and expanded childcare for county employees.
“There's plenty of ways to serve the public, and it is absolutely my intention in one way or another to continue to be of service to the people of Northampton County.”Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure
McClure will hand off to his successor a leaner county government than he inherited in 2018, shaped by his administration’s focus on cutting spending in order to hold down property taxes.
In the longer term, McClure said he believes his administration will also be remembered for its “green legacy,” left by preserving farmland and incorporating climate-friendly technology such as solar panels into county construction projects.
While he still is exploring options for life outside of county government, McClure said he may well return to practicing law, resuming a career previously focused on representing plaintiffs in workers compensation and asbestos suits.
“There's plenty of ways to serve the public, and it is absolutely my intention in one way or another to continue to be of service to the people of Northampton County,” he said.
McClure declined to endorse a candidate in the now wide-open race to replace him, saying he is “not thinking about the politics of what comes after" he leaves office.
