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A roundup of some key races in Pennsylvania's primary

By FOX 29 staff
Updated  May 22, 2019 6:53am EDT
Politics
Associated Press
article

PHILADELPHIA - A look at the winners in key races in Pennsylvania's primary:

PHILADELPHIA MAYOR

Democrat Jim Kenney won the three-way Democratic primary in his bid for re-election, virtually guaranteeing him a second term as mayor of the nation's sixth largest city.

Kenney, 61, beat two longtime city political figures: Alan Butkovitz, the former city controller, and state Sen. Anthony Williams. Republican Billy Ciancaglini ran unopposed in the GOP primary, but has little chance in November's general election in the heavily Democratic city.

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U.S. HOUSE SPECIAL ELECTION

Republican Fred Keller, a state lawmaker from Snyder County, won the special election for Congress in a heavily Republican district that sprawls across central and northern Pennsylvania. Keller, 53, will replace the Republican congressman who resigned in January.

He beat Democrat Marc Friedenberg and ran with the support of President Donald Trump. The 12th District also strongly supported Trump in the 2016 election.

The two-year term runs through 2020. Keller is a fifth-term member of the state House of Representatives, and one of its most conservative members, with a 90% lifetime rating by the American Conservative Union.

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LEGISLATIVE SPECIAL ELECTION

Republicans won special elections for three open seats in the state Legislature in heavily GOP districts in southcentral and western Pennsylvania.

For the 33rd Senate district in southcentral Pennsylvania, Republican Doug Mastriano beat Democrat Sarah Hammond; for the 41st Senate district in western Pennsylvania, Republican Joe Pittman beat Democrat Susan Boser; and for the 11th House district in Butler County, Republican Marci Mustello beat Democrat Sam Doctor.

All three seats were last held by Republicans, and the special elections have no effect on Republican control in both chambers.

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SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES

The endorsed candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties won contested races to run for open seats on a statewide appellate court.

The winners secured spots on the fall ballot in Tuesday's primary election to fill two open seats on the state Superior Court. Each party had a three-way primary race.

The winning Democrats were Amanda Green-Hawkins, a longtime steelworkers' union lawyer from Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia Judge Daniel McCaffery.

The Republican winners were Megan King, a Chester County prosecutor, and Cumberland County Judge Christylee Peck.

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ALLENTOWN MAYOR

Ray O'Connell declared himself the winner in Allentown's mayoral race over challengers Michael Daniels, Cheryl Johnson Watt and Patrick Palmer.

The interim mayor will run against Republican Tim Ramos in November to fill imprisoned former Mayor Ed Pawlowski's term.

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PHILADELPHIA SHERIFF

A woman who leads a city organization of black police officers beat Philadelphia's incumbent sheriff, who is the target of several sexual harassment lawsuits.

Former police officer Rochelle Bilal defeated Sheriff Jewell Williams.

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PITTSBURGH DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Pittsburgh's longtime top prosecutor has fended off a challenge in the Democratic primary, his first in 20 years.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala on Tuesday defeated Turahn Jenkins, a former public defender who criticized his handling of the case of a white police officer charged in the fatal shooting of a black teenager.