NAZARETH, Pa. - Democrat Lamont McClure defeated controversial Republican candidate Steve Lynch to secure a second term as Northampton County executive on Tuesday.
According to unofficial election results, McClure won 56 percent of the vote to Lynch's 44 percent. McClure's 37,404 votes included more than 18,000 by mail-in ballot -- about 85 percent of all county mail-in ballots received.
Lynch received 29,628 votes, including a little more than 3,200 by mail, according to the county.
McClure took the stage around 11 p.m. Tuesday during an Election Night party at the Holy Family Club in Nazareth.
“So, we have 155 of 156 precincts reporting, and I’m happy to inform you that Northampton County’s future is green,” said McClure, who took office in 2017 after nine years on county council.
McClure said he believes his calls for lower taxes and the preservation of open space resonated with voters.
Lynch could not immediately be reached for comment.
He's a personal trainer who was at the Stop the Steal rally that preceded the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol. He courted controversy during the campaign for suggesting at a rally in Harrisburg that "20 strong men" confront school boardsover masking mandates.
McClure refused to debate Lynch this fall and called him a "domestic terrorist" in interviews and campaign mailers.
The Republican candidate has previously said he might not accept the results of Tuesday’s vote. McClure said the election was fair and secure.
“It doesn’t matter what Lynch accepts," McClure said Tuesday night. "In Northampton County, we put on legal, accurate and fair elections.”
County council results
Also Tuesday, unofficial election returns show Republicans have regained control of Northampton County Council. Results remain unofficial, but with all 156 of the county's precincts reporting, three Republicans and two Democrats appear to have triumphed.
Democratic incumbents Tara Zrinski and Lori Vargo Heffner were re-elected, and Republicans John P. Goffredo, John Brown and Nicole Romanishin rounded out the top five.
Countywide results for the 2021 general election can be found here.
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